Agreed To In Innocence
by Theresa Crane
Summary: Ichi/Ruki-COMPLETE! A very young girl has her life saved by a very young boy. A promise is made and futures decided. Time skip from children to teens. SUSPENSE THROUGHOUT! Romance/humor/suspense/action *disclaimer-Bleach is Kubo Tite's creation
1. Prologue: Break In

A/N-I do not own bleach, or the characters, they belong to Kubo Tite. This is my **longIchi/Ruki **story, if you don't like them, then you probably shouldn't read.

Also when you see this within the story:

JJJJ

It's a break in the story to either different characters or it could mean a break in time I haven't actually finished the entire story yet so I want to leave that possibility in there

Enjoy!

Prologue

_Break-In_

Kiyoko and her daughters were being hunted by her recently deceased husband's maniac of a brother. He had forced his way into the house pretty quickly, and shocked all of the ladies in the residence with his break-in. He had kicked the door in while she and the girls were in the den. She had immediately grabbed her small daughter off the couch and held her with one arm. She used her other hand to pull her older daughter down the hall. She knew long ago why her husband had always instructed her that his brother was not allowed to enter their home unless he was there. Her husband had confided in her before their wedding about his brother.

Her husband's brother had been caught in the past, touching small children inappropriately. When his brother had planned visits, she and the girls were never in the home. Her husband had always been home when his brother made an unexpected visit, and she'd always been told to remain hidden in another part of the house with the girls until their father told them it was okay to come out. She never had to wait long. Her husband always made it clear that unexpected visits were forbidden, and had always gotten rid of him fast.

It may have taken a couple of weeks for the disgusting man to get the news about her husband's tragic massive heart attack, but he's decided to come here and he's after her precious daughters. She blinks furiously at the thought. She regrets that she put off getting a guard dog until next week. _If we get away alive and safely tonight, a new ferocious guard dog will be our next purchase. Maybe a little yappy dog too. One that barks at the slightest provocation. Maybe arrange a marriage for Hisana with a man that can protect the family, anything is better than our situation now! _

Hisana slams the study door shut and neither she nor her mother turn on a light. Her uncle has some of his unsavory men outside, and they will be instantly alerted to what part of the house the ladies had run to if they did something as stupid as turn on a light. (The idiots had made such a ruckus outside at the time of his entry that she knew they were there) Her mother cradles her little sister while she gets the door locked, before her uncle catches up with them. Something as tiny as a locked door would only stall him, it would never stop him. It's at times like these that living in the city would probably be better. _Father had wanted a large home a long drive from the city, and away from all the racket, and heavy stream of people. This isn't the best situation when you're being hunted though. _Her mother distracts her from her thoughts.

"Hisana, you must take your sister and run. Escape here with your sister and protect her. You must find someone to protect you both from him. He's obsessed. He absolutely cannot be allowed near either of you, he's an evil man. These were your father's wishes." She whispers. She is so thankful that her daughter understands. Hisana walks over to the desk and pulls her father's large pocket knife out of the desk and hold onto it like it's a lifeline. Her mother has focused her attention on her three year old daughter, who will soon be four.

"You must stay quiet. You must listen to your sister, and you must be brave. There is a bad man here who wants to hurt us. Mommy is going to deal with him so that her angels aren't hurt. For me, you have to be strong and you must not scream or cry." Her mother whispers softly and urgently into her daughters ear, kissing her soft temple. She worries that she's asking too much of such a young child. Her gaze swiftly moves to the door when a loud pounding noise is made. He has located the locked door, and starts kicking at it. _There's not much time left. _

"I promise." Rukia says very quietly with a reassuring smile for her mother. She may not understand everything that's going on, but she is very smart and her brain processes that there is imminent danger. At a time like this she should not argue but follow whatever direction her mother is giving her. Rukia isn't happy to see her mother's tears. "Mommy?"

Hisana walks over to the window and looks out to see none of the men in view. She takes Rukia gently from her mother. Her mother then quickly opens the closet where they keep extra clothing for storage. _Off season clothes._ She hurriedly finds the long hooded black cloak that her husband bought for her years ago and puts it around Hisana's shoulders. She also grabs Hisana's childhood dark colored coat, a little bit too big for Rukia, and she covers her younger daughter with it in Hisana's arms. She quickly kisses her daughters and silently opens the window.

Hisana slips silently out with Rukia.

Her mother goes to the fireplace and grabs a poker, holding it high above her head with both hands. She sees the door begin to splinter and crack and she takes a deep breath. The only thing she has left in her heart and mind are stopping or at least slowing down the man intent on causing her and her daughters harm.

"Please lord, give me the strength to protect my girls!" She says out loud to herself as she watches the door come down. Ichimaru Gin rushes into the room, noticing her weapon, he rushes at her and she brings it down with all of her might, with all of her heart. Too late she realizes he has dodged her blow. She had not seen the knife in his hand. In one swift graceful movement he slashes it across her neck, killing her instantly. He quickly searches the room, and when he doesn't find what he was looking for, he spits on his late brother's dead wife. He runs to the window, throwing it open, he roars to his buddies outside.

"They fucking got away! Find them!" He shuts the window and glares at his sister-in-law's corpse. "Kiyoko, you're such a bitch! I should have kept you alive and let my guys take turns on you. You had it too easy in the end, bitch!" He spit it out so that saliva shot out of his mouth as he hissed at her. He wants the treasure his brother has always kept hidden from him. He hasn't ever gotten to see what the girls looked like, until tonight that is.

He had stopped pursuing for a moment when he spotted a family picture in a hallway of the house that he had never been allowed to enter. It had been taken very recently, he can tell by the way his brother looks. His eyes rest longest on the tiny girl his sister-in-law is holding in the picture. She's perfect. He never minded a game of cat and mouse, so long as the cat got its prey. (Except cats don't catch mice to molest them) He decides to check the rest of the house for peace of mind before joining the hunt outside.

When he comes out, he has a backpack filled with things that a little girl would like. It's not like he's planning on killing her, she still has many tender years to come. The sister is too old for his tastes. He decides he'll do to her what he did to the mother, unless one of his men wants her. No witnesses. He had learned several important things while in the household. He'd learned the younger girl's name. _Rukia. _His brother had never allowed him any contact whatsoever with the rest of his family after the wedding to his wife. He licks his lips menacingly. His brother had even told him when he asked, that his family was none of his concern. _Not anymore. I can't wait until little Rukia is in my possession. All the things I can do to her. _


	2. Chapter 1: Hunted

Chapter 1

_Hunted_

It was a cloudy night when there were no visible moon or stars. It was a curse and a blessing at the same time, as it helped keep them hidden but made stumbling and seeing a concern. Hisana knows this area well though, and her direction is sure. She tightens her hold on her sister, whose eyes are wide in fear, but Rukia is keeping quiet as promised. Hisana picks up speed and relies on instinct when she hears somebody catching up to her. She makes the quick decision to hide her sister in a brush somewhere. First though, she has to whisper instructions to the small child who will absolutely try to follow her if she tries to leave her and walk away.

"You stay where I hide you, do not move until you have heard no sounds for a very long time. I will find you, I swear it! When you do move, you go the way everyone else was not going. Remember, I will find you!" Hisana whispers the instructions with a voice that tells Rukia she will not tolerate arguing. Rukia nods her head without a word, she's going to keep her promise to her mom, and she will be brave for her sister. Her desire to survive and not disappoint are already very strong and the sense of danger was ever present. The sounds of being followed continue.

Voices call out nearby in an organized search between what sounds like at least three men. A couple of minutes later, Hisana finally locates the large brush that she thinks should be good to hide her tiny sister. She practically tosses Rukia into the brush before tearing off like a madwoman, tearing the knife from her side pocket and yanking out the blade, she starts putting markings in the trees as she runs by them. This will be her only future clue when she is able to come back for Rukia. She can't let them spot her now while it's obvious she's alone, so close to Rukia's hiding place.

She has made some progress now that she isn't running while holding a small child. Hisana would dearly love to climb a tree and take a rest, but if they find her, all alone, it would be the most costly mistake of her life.

Adrenaline has kept her moving, but she can still sense her pursuer(s). She can hear the sticks breaking as he or they follow her, since he or they are running rough to catch up with her. She wonders if she should quietly switch directions, and try to make them think they'd lost her. If she did that though, they might go back the direction they came in, and if they caught Rukia, Hisana would have nobody other than herself to blame.

She purposely lets out a loud shriek to make it sound like she has fallen. They have to keep chasing her, they cannot be allowed to find Rukia. At least Hisana is nearly grown, old enough to stand a miniscule chance of fighting back if she's caught.

_If Rukia is caught, she has zero chance of prevailing. A three year old child does not win against an insane pedophile. _

Run. Run. Run. She hopes a disgusting human like her uncle wouldn't have too many friends, hopefully the search party is reduced to only three. This makes her chances of escaping them higher than if there's a whole gang of them. She also is glad for the cover of the many trees.

It's not a completely thick forest, but it's dense enough. She has explored the area enough that she has a good idea of her surroundings, an advantage she hopes her uncle and fiendish friends can't claim.

J J J J

Rukia sits in the brush, trying to stay calm and very quiet. She remembers what her mom told her. She remembers what her sister told her. She knows they're being chased by bad people and that getting caught would be a nightmare. She knows from the way her mommy talked to her, and cried before sending them out into the dark night.

To Rukia, it seems really late since it had been past bedtime when her uncle broke in. She had been laying on the couch nearly ready to fall asleep for the night when her mother had yanked her into her arms and took off running. Rukia is not at all sleepy now though, she's really scared. She can feel her little heart pounding in a way it never has before. If she weren't trying so hard to be brave, she'd lay back and let out a loud wail and cry her heart out at the terror she's experiencing.

She has never been alone, outside at night. It might not be scary if there weren't people trying to find and hurt her. Rukia pulls her coat in front of her face to muffle her heavy breathing. She has to stay quiet. She has to be brave. She nearly screams in fright when she sees a large man run in the direction her sister had torn off only a minute earlier. She ends up only gasping into the coat, a muffled noise missed by the bad man. She shakes in terror. It's far more scary now.

Her mom's words keep repeating themselves in her head as do her sister's. Be quiet. Hide. Wait. Be brave. Don't cry. The last one is the hardest. Rukia feels like she must really be disappointing her mom when she feels silent tears rolling down her cheeks. She's able to keep quiet when a second man heads in the same direction as the first. When Rukia hears her sister's shout of dismay, she's completely terrified. She jerks back so fast and hard at the sound of her sister that she cracks the back of her head against the trunk of the tree at the center of the brush, where she's been hiding. She feels lightheaded and it hurts. She feels herself falling to the side. She's knocked herself out.

Rukia wakes up a minute later with her head hurting intensely. She doesn't know how long she's been asleep though. She doesn't know whether or not it's been a long time since people have passed by. (It hasn't) She is getting up the courage to stick her head out of the brush when another person heads up the same path that her sister had. She quickly decides a long enough time has not passed for her to make her escape as her sister had instructed. Rukia draws her knees up to her chest and buries her face into her knees. She's getting more terrified by the moment.

It has not been a long time since a bad man passed by, but Rukia is getting too scared to just keep sitting still. She holds her breath and listens really hard, for any sound of someone approaching. She can't even hear the men who passed by her earlier now. In fact, she realizes that the forest around her has started to come alive with the sound of creatures. They had all gone silent when the men had run through earlier. She makes the connection at that young age, that the sounds mean it's safe from danger. With her heart pounding, she edges her way out of the brush and runs as fast and as far as her tiny legs will carry her in the opposite direction from which her sister had run.

J J J J

Hisana can hear them. There's more than one chasing her. She silently prays that Rukia hasn't been discovered and also prays the strength she has can last until she can reach safety. She knows she's been going awhile. When she has hiked in the forest in her recent teen years with her friends, it usually took them an hour of leisurely walking to get to where she is now, and she's been running. She is thankful her endurance hasn't given out on her yet. She is glad for the absence of the moon's light. She knows she has gained distance. As long as she doesn't give up, she should be able to find an area of safety somehow. She knows there are no good hiding spots besides brushy areas like the one she hid Rukia in.

There are no caves, no secret forts, no shelter anywhere near here. She makes her way down a slope where a creek runs. She is running though so when she gets to the creek, she doesn't hesitate, she jumps and clears it easily. It's hard to run up the slope of the other side, but she forces herself.

She can hear the men cursing in the distance, and even though she's relieved she has enough time to make it out of their sight before they get to the slope she ran down she doesn't slow down much. She does however stop a few minutes later to listen for their position. She can't hear anything for a moment and wonders if she lost them.

"I found a footprint!" She hears someone shout.

"How in the hell is she running so fast, when she's got to deal with the brat?" She hears another one howl. _God they're stupid. _They're so loud even though they're in the distance a bit. If she had to guess, she'd say she has put around a hundred meters of distance between herself and them, all due to her familiarity with the forest and her will to keep moving. She continues now. She knows they're still looking and so she doesn't dare to stop.

"How long will I have to run?" Hisana asks herself in a breathless whisper. It's not good. Her legs are finally starting to feel tired. Maybe she shouldn't have stopped for that minute. It seems to have cost her some of her speed, her legs are moving more slowly than they were before. "Rukia, I will find you, I will survive this, I will not give up!" Hisana tells herself, willing her body to cooperate with her needs.

She needs to find an ally right now. If only her father hadn't collapsed so suddenly from a massive heart attack! He should be here now, protecting all of them. She doesn't allow herself to think of what has become of her mother. _This is not good. This is the worst thing that could have happened_.

J J J J

Rukia keeps moving. The sounds of the forest scare her, and so does the fact that she's all alone. She has stopped crying, mainly because it's too exhausting to keep crying when you are on a mission of survival. She may not understand everything, but she knows being found now would be ten times more scary than this dark forest with its scary sounds. She doesn't realize it but she's been walking for close to an hour. She hasn't gotten too terribly far though because forests aren't really easy to move in, and her steps are small. She still keeps moving though, ignoring the pain in her body from all her hard work.

She is relieved that the forest isn't treating her like the danger. As long as she can hear the forest's critters, they aren't near her. She moves slowly and steadily for another two hours before she finally is too tired. She doesn't want to find another brush, and so she leans up against a large tree. It doesn't matter that she's tired, she's too scared to fall asleep. What if they find her as she sleeps? She feels relief in her legs from finally resting, and she can't help it. Since she can't sleep, and she can't keep moving, she is going to break her word and have herself a good long cry.

J J J J

Hisana realizes she's no longer in familiar territory. She hasn't been for awhile now. She also realizes that her pursuers haven't given up on her yet either. It's bittersweet. The more they chase her, the less likely it is that Rukia will be caught, but at the same time, her legs are starting to feel like they're going to stop working soon. She has been on the run for hours now.

These men sure are persistent, Hisana decides they must have some really bad intentions to pursue at night with no light, this far. She's now at the same disadvantages they are, seeing as how she doesn't know this area.

She only marks trees every twenty paces now. She also can tell that the people pursuing her have managed to gain some ground. Hisana pants heavily. Even if there were a good hiding spot twenty feet away, she'd be hard pressed to locate it in the darkness of the forest. She doesn't even know how deep this forest goes. She has never come this far though.

The idea of them catching her now, after she's come this far is too absurd to consider. She will get away from them, and she will find her sister! She's so busy with her mental pep talk, that she realizes belatedly that there's a clearing up ahead, a clearing! Maybe a house?

She remembers, that right before her father had died, he'd mentioned something about a new neighbor several kilometers away. Could this be the neighbor? Could she actually be so lucky on the night she needs it the most? She finds renewed strength in her hope and sprints out of the forest, into the clearing.

Hisana stops dead in her tracks when she realizes there is indeed a home, and she's just entered the backyard of it, not only that, but a tall guy with long black hair is out in the backyard too. She sees because he has some candles lit on his back porch. She doesn't hesitate, she tears straight over to the man. In her eyes he doesn't look evil, he looks…handsome!

"Please sir, help me! I'm being chased by men who broke into my home! Please!" She grabs the man by his shoulders and she has to stretch her arms all the way out to do so. "My baby sister-" Hisana faints from the consequences of her stressful evening in mid-sentence. She faints and falls towards the man she just grabbed onto. She is already knocked out by the time he catches her and he swiftly turns and takes her into his home.

J J J J

Ichigo wakes up in his tree house to a strange noise. He can't go running back in the house scared now, because otherwise his father will call him a chicken. His father had told him that if he can handle one night alone in the tree house, he'll finally start being a man.

He opens his eyes and tries to discern the sound that woke him up. It sounds really close. Home is really close too though. Ichigo sits straight up though when he realizes what he heard was crying. _Ghost? _Ichigo sighs as he sticks his head out of the opening of his tree house. His mouth drops open in shock when he looks down to see a girl, a little younger than him, leaning up against his tree crying. He stares down at the top of her head, wondering what he should do. _Is she a ghost? _

He rubs his eyes and then he grabs his rope that is secured at the top of the tree house and allows it to fall out from the inside His dad had taught him once he's up there to pull up the robe and leave it loosely coiled around a branch. He has steps to come up, but a rope to go down. His father told him when he turns six, he's getting rid of the steps. Ichigo quickly and quietly climbs down the rope, and the girl is crying so hard that she doesn't notice or hear him. When he lets go of the rope and lands on the ground next to her, she gasps and looks up, eyes huge and glistening with tears.

"Hey kid, are you okay?" Ichigo asks, his voice full of concern. Rukia looks at him and his bright orange hair, unable to respond immediately. After a moment she finally finds her voice

"How did you appear there? Are you an angel?" Rukia asks, eyes wide with hope. Ichigo wants to laugh, but doesn't since she looks so scared and hopeful at the same time.

"No, I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. I'm just a normal little boy." He tells her. He squats down next to her and smiles.

Rukia doesn't think normal little boys are actually awake and outside this time of night, and so she just stares at him disbelieving.

"Why are you crying?" He asks her. He's surprised when the tiny girl's eyes go wide and she grabs him. Hard.

"We have to hide!" She tells him urgently.

"Huh?" Ichigo looks at her with confusion.

"We have to hide. Bad people are chasing me!" Rukia explains as quickly as she can. She looks around frantically, getting more nervous because she notices the sounds around them have stopped. Has she been found? Ichigo thinks maybe she's confused, but the terror in her eyes has him say something completely different.

"Follow me." The boy says and stands. He goes around the other side of the tree and starts climbing his tree house steps. She walks around, and her eyes widen. It looks as though he's just climbing up the tree like a squirrel. Then she notices the bark colored steps. She quickly grabs on and works her way up. She doesn't know where he's going but if he has a place to hide, she's going to go too. After all, she hadn't even noticed him until he appeared right in front her.

When she gets higher up, she finally can see the tree house, completely hidden from below. It's above a lot of the lower branches and perfectly invisible from below in the dark night. When she finally crawls in after him, she sees him yanking up a rope.

"What are you doing?" She whispers quietly.

"Pulling up the rope I used to come down. My dad taught me to do that so that it's like a real secret hideout." Ichigo explains proudly, and a little too loudly for Rukia's liking. She quickly puts a finger to her mouth. "What's your name?" he asks.

"Shhhh. We can't let them hear us!" Rukia says urgently, her teary eyes wide. Ichigo realizes she is still scared even though she has the best hiding spot ever. Besides, he can't hear anybody pursuing, even if it is more quiet than usual. He sits next to her and looks at her. Even though she's wearing a coat a bit too big for her, and she's filled with dirt from her time spent escaping, she's a really pretty small girl. She appears to be listening before responding to his question. "I'm Kanzaki Rukia." She says, her soft voice cracking into a sob.

"Tell me what happened." Ichigo says in a whisper. Rukia looks relieved that he's not talking loudly anymore and nods her head yes.

"I was falling asleep on the couch when Mommy grabbed me up and carried me while dragging my older sister into daddy's private room." Rukia starts to explain in a voice barely above a whisper. (The study they had escaped from had previously been known as one of the rooms she was not allowed to play in or even be in without one of her parents present) "It all happened so fast. She told my sister to protect me, because of the bad men, and she grabbed us up dark coats, and we escaped out the window." Rukia explains, completely capturing the young boy's interest. He looks at her feet. She's wearing indoor slippers.

"Rukia? What happened after you and your sister went out the window?" Ichigo asks, tensing up.

"She ran holding me for awhile, but the bad men were catching up. She told me to hide in the bushes and to wait until the bad men had gone. She said after they were gone a real long time, that I should go the other way from where she went. I waited a real long time. She promised to find me, but she hasn't. I was so scared. If they catch me it's going to get even scarier." Rukia explains as a tear falls down her cheek. "Mommy didn't come chasing after the men either. I wish daddy were still here!" Rukia cries quietly. Ichigo, wants to comfort her.

"I'll take care of you until your sister finds you." Ichigo tells her with a smile meant to comfort her. Rukia only cries harder.

"What if she never finds me?" Rukia's voice has risen to a wail. Ichigo scoots over next to her and grabs her hand.

"Then I will take care of you forever." He replies. She stops crying and looks hopefully at him while squeezing his hand.

"Promise?" She asks him, wide eyed. He gives her a full blown smile, making his face fully adorable with chubby cheeks.

"Promise." Ichigo says firmly. Rukia's eyes close from relief. She's not alone.

"Thank you, Ichigo." She says as she falls asleep, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Ichigo realizes she's fallen asleep, but he can't go back to sleep sitting up. He stays very quiet with only the sound of her breathing filling his ears.

His eyes widen as he realizes the forest is still quiet. It shouldn't still be now that they're not talking or moving around at all. Did they figure out where she'd headed? Ichigo's heart starts beating quickly when he hears a yell from the distance.

"Hey I found a barrette! She's got to be around here somewhere!" The man's voice is close enough to make Ichigo nervous, and he grows even more nervous When Rukia starts whimpering very quietly in her sleep. They're coming closer.

He squeezes her hand as she sleeps and that quiets her down. Ichigo listens fearfully as they make their way dangerously close to the tree they're in.

He's glad now for the cover of the lower branches. He can see down through a few of the branches, but nobody looking up would be able to see the tree house, although they might spot his bright orange hair if he sticks his head out. He's not stupid enough to do that with them so near.

He never lets go of Rukia's hand as they stay in within hearing distance for close to an hour. He hears when one yells out to the rest that he's hit a home, and that all the lights are out. He knows they've found his house. It's the only one around for acres.

He wonders how long they'll search, and whether or not the girl next to him will ever be reunited with her family. He also wonders what they want with her. His innocent mind can't even begin to think of a reason why bad men would want to hurt the little girl next to him. He wonders what time it is. It seems like the middle of the night. It seems the men have split up and once they're so far away he can barely hear their shouts, he realizes he's uncomfortable in this position.

He lets go of Rukia's hand and puts his arm around her. She's dead weight, but he manages to gently move her away from the wall of the tree house that she'd been propped up onto. He reaches out for his pillow and arranges it under her head. He lays down next to her and puts a comforting arm around her shoulders. His head is on the pillow next to her.

He still can't sleep. He wants to be on the lookout until he's sure it's safe. The forest sounds have returned and that brings quite a bit of calmness to Ichigo. He stays up for quite awhile still, comforting Rukia every time her whimpers start back up. He doesn't fall asleep until dawn starts approaching.

.


	3. Chapter 2: I Made A Promise Didn't I

Chapter 2

_I Made A Promise Didn't I?_

Rukia awakens to find herself snug in her young savior's arms. She sits up and yawns loudly, causing Ichigo to open his eyes, even though he hasn't slept very much. She looks like she wants to cry again.

"Want to come to my real house with me today?" Ichigo asks her, with another comforting smile. Rukia however stiffens up immediately.

"I'm too scared." Rukia answers, as a tear falls down her face. Ichigo wipes it off.

"Want me to bring you some food?" He asks her. Rukia surprises him by jumping to her feet.

"I have to go potty." Rukia replies suddenly, with a sudden look of need on her face. She immediately starts dancing around since it came on so suddenly. Ichigo quickly grabs his rope and lets it fall loose to the ground.

"Come on, you can't go here." Ichigo says sensibly. Rukia takes one look at the rope and shakes her head no. She's hopping up and down.

"I can too." Rukia replies, even though she doesn't start going yet. She's been potty trained for nearly a year, since she couldn't stand that everybody else in the house except for her used the bathroom facilities rather than a diaper.

"No, you can't go in here. I'll stay right under you. It's only scary at first, but it's fun going down on the rope." Ichigo says, trying to persuade her from going in his beloved tree house. "You can use my shoulders for your feet to rest on if you need to stop for a minute. I've been doing this all summer long!" Ichigo looks at her, worried she's going to start leaking where she stands.

"You'll be right there?" Rukia asks. She doesn't want to pee in the tree house either. She dances around some more.

"I promised to take care of you didn't I?" Ichigo boasts confidently. Rukia takes a deep breath and nods her head. She leaves her coat in the tree house.

"Okay." Rukia walks over to where he stands grabbing the rope. He tells her to hold it when he gets on it. He lowers himself enough for her to grab on to the rope too, and they make their way down, a bit slower than what he made his way down last night when she sat there crying. She isn't freaking out at least, she's just being careful. She is used to playing like a monkey and this isn't as difficult as it may look.

"You can do it Rukia, we're more than halfway down." Ichigo says encouragingly. Rukia realizes it is not as scary as she thought and the urge to go is getting too strong.

"We have to hurry or I'll go now." She warns him. Ichigo's face turns pale white and he starts moving at a much faster pace. Surprisingly, she keeps up with him. It seems like she doesn't want to pee on him. The moment her feet touch the ground, she rushes over to the next tree and yanks down her panties underneath her blue one piece (a little dirty) dress. Ichigo quickly turns away red faced so that he's not facing her. It feels wrong to watch her go like that. She pays him no mind though. She squats down and relieves herself. "I need paper." She announces to him.

"I got to go in the house for that, can you stay here for a minute by yourself since you don't want to come to my house?" Ichigo asks her.

"Hurry!" Rukia says nervously. Ichigo darts off. Rukia gets nervous waiting for him. By the time he comes back, she really doesn't need the paper any more, but she takes the roll from him and rips off a small piece anyways and wipes like her mommy taught her a big girl does. She pulls up her underwear and looks up at the tree where she slept last night. Even in the day time you can't tell it's up there. It really is a secret hideout. Ichigo realizes she's stopped fussing and he turns back around to face her. He sees her looking up towards the direction of the tree house. She hands the paper back to Ichigo.

"Thank you, Ichigo." Rukia says and he turns and hands her a clean hand towel that he brought with him as well.

"Want to go to the creek?" Ichigo asks her. "You got some dirt on your face." He points at her face and Rukia doesn't really want to go, but feels pressured to go.

"What if the bad guys are there?" She asks fearfully.

"I didn't go back to sleep last night until they gave up." Ichigo reassures her. Once again, Rukia's answer is a nod. Ichigo leads her to a creek, not far at all from the tree house. She takes the towel and pushes it into the chilly water. She brings it out and rubs her face. She's surprised at the dirt that comes off. Ichigo sure didn't look as dirty as she must have. When she finishes wiping her face, she turns around and looks at Ichigo, who's eyes widen at the sight of her much cleaner face.

"Rukia, you're so pretty!" Ichigo exclaims. Rukia smiles at him.

"That's what my daddy used to say." She says sadly.

"What happened to your daddy?" Ichigo asks softly, realizing the way she talked she hadn't seen her dad in awhile.

"He died." Rukia responds, with a quivering lip. "Can we go back to the tree house?" She asks. Ichigo nods and once again leads the way. Rukia follows and climbs up the slope by the creek behind him. Ichigo feels bad about her dad. He stops, and waits for her to catch up before grabbing her hand again like last night.

"Don't cry, Rukia. I promised to take care of you didn't I? He asks her. She looks at him with relieved eyes.

"I'm glad." She responds. They don't talk the rest of the way to the tree house, but he lets go of her hand to climb up. She follows behind him and when he gets to the top, he pulls up the rope from when they climbed down earlier. She sits down once in and he sits facing her.

"Rukia?" Ichigo asks, she looks up at him quizzically. "How old are you?" Ichigo asks her. Rukia holds up three fingers.

"I'm almost four!" Rukia says excitedly. "How old are you, Ichigo?" Rukia asks him.

"I turned four over the summer." Ichigo says. A man's loud shout makes them both jump.

"Ichigo! Breakfast is ready!" His father's voice booms into the forest. Ichigo looks at her.

"You sure you don't want to go have breakfast?" He asks. She looks scared.

"I'll wait here for you." Rukia says with a small smile. Ichigo nods.

"Okay, pull the rope back up after I'm down." He says. Rukia nods yet again. Ichigo quickly goes down the rope, and Rukia pulls it up like she's seen him do. She lays back down with her head on the pillow and pulls the coat her mother gave her closely around herself. She thinks about her late father and worries about her mother while waiting for him to come back. She wonders whether or not her sister made it away from the bad men.

J J J J

"So how was your first night all alone out in the real world?" Isshin asks his son with a silly smile splattered on his face. Ichigo looks up at his parents as he sits down.

"Scary. There were men yelling in the forest last night." Ichigo replies. He doesn't mention his meeting with Rukia, though. His father looks at him curiously.

"There were men in the woods last night?" He asks his son.

"Yeah," Ichigo replies as he sits with his parents. He digs into his breakfast. His parents chat a lot, and Ichigo finishes his food fast.

"Ichigo, are you going back outside?" His mom asks.

"Yeah, will you make me a picnic basket for lunch? With an extra milk too please?" Ichigo pleads with his mom. She grins.

"Sure, I'll prepare it right now for you. While I do that, you should take a bath." His mom says. Ichigo grins and heads for the bathroom.

"I knew the tree house would be a big hit! He was only three when he started climbing up there by himself and sliding down the rope." Isshin says proudly.

"I still worry about his safety." Masaki says, "but he does love it."

"He's a chip off the old block, he'll be fine. We Kurosaki men don't die easy and we take many risks that would kill ordinary men." Isshin boasts. Masaki rolls her eyes at him and smiles.

J J J J

Ichigo gets out of the shower and looks around his room for stuff to take to Rukia at the tree house. He grabs his back pack and studies the contents of his room carefully. He grabs a rabbit stuffed animal off the shelf and sticks that in, he gets another hand towel for her, and a few of his favorite games. He also grabs his old sneakers, he had told his mom he'd throw them out, but he hadn't. He figures she'll need shoes though. He grabs some candy and a small baby blanket too. His bag is full. When goes to get his picnic basket, his mom hands it to him with a big smile.

"Have fun outside, Ichigo!" She says with a wave as he darts off in the direction of the forest, picnic basket in tow.

Rukia jumps at the sound of Ichigo's voice.

"Hey, Rukia!" She grins when she sees Ichigo with the picnic basket. She is really hungry.

"Thank you Ichigo!" Rukia says with a happy smile as he opens the basket. Ichigo blushes at how her smile is as radiant as his mom's.

"You're welcome." He says, watching her eye the food and milk happily. Ichigo then opens his backpack while she munches on some of the treats his mom packed up. He pulls out the games and sets them in the corner of the tree house. Rukia watches him curiously as he completely empties the contents of his back pack and finds the rabbit stuffed animal. He steps towards her and presents it. "I thought this might cheer you up a little." He says. Rukia stops eating and accepts the stuffed animal with a smile.

"I love it!" Rukia says excitedly. It's from this moment on that a strange attachments to bunnies is formed. It's her first gift from her sweet protector, the one who will look out for her if her sister is unable to find her.

"Rukia, did you notice these?" Ichigo points to what looks like a built in ladder on the wall, leading up to the ceiling of the tree house. (The tree house is large enough to fit Isshin comfortably, since at first he came up with his son every day)

"No, what are they there for?" Rukia asks, she wonders if they're shelves.

"Watch!" Ichigo climbs up and pushes on the ceiling when he gets to the top. A trap door opens and you can actually climb up onto the roof. He disappears onto the roof and then sticks his head back in.

"Wow, amazing!" Rukia exclaims as she clutches her precious bunny closer. She looks at him very gratefully when he hands her the sneakers. Her eyes widen and her smile grows. "Thanks!"

"I got a chair up here if you ever want to sit up here." Ichigo says before climbing back in and sitting across from Rukia again. He wonders how long he can take care of her before his parents discover her. He knows it's inevitable, and that his mom is bound to be disappointed in him for keeping the secret, but he can't stand to scare Rukia more than she already is right now. If she's too scared now, then he can wait awhile. He watches as Rukia finishes her milk, and then looks at him.

"Ichigo, I'm still tired." Rukia says.

"Me too." He tells her. "But if you wake up and I'm not here, it's because my parents called me in, and you don't have to worry, I'll be back." Ichigo explains as he grabs the blanket he brought and scoots next to her again. He sits and arranges the blanket over him and herself. They lay down on the floor of his tree house, both of their heads resting on his pillow, both covered by the blanket and warmth from it and each other. Rukia smiles as he throws his arm around her, before she falls asleep.

J J J J

"So Ichigo said he heard men in the forest. I wonder who they were." Masaki says to her husband as they sit together at the table.

"I was wondering about that myself. I was thinking of going into town to see if I could find out anything." Isshin says.

"You just want to have a drink at the bar." Masaki says with a smile.

"You know me too well." Isshin says with a wink. Masaki rolls her eyes at her goofy husband.

"I didn't hear them, but then again I was worn out, thanks to you," Masaki says to him.

"I'm surprised I didn't hear them either." Isshin says, a little disappointed with himself. "Ichigo must have been pretty scared, even though he acted like it wasn't a big deal."

"He may have come running into the house when he heard them if you hadn't told him he'd be a real man if he could stay out there all night long." Masaki says.

"It was the only way to be sure you and I would have privacy!" Isshin whines. "You want another baby don't you?" He asks. Masaki smacks him on the head.

"Of course I want another baby, but I don't want our child to be too scared to come home if there's danger!" Masaki says, sitting back in her chair, satisfied she's smacked him hard enough.

"You're so beautiful. Lets go back to the bedroom." Isshin says, rubbing the spot she smacked, that's still stinging.

"You're hopeless." Masaki says, unable to stop herself from smiling. She stands anyways, and hurries to the bedroom. Isshin dashes after her. She smiles back at him.

"Hey this is the fun part! Wait for me!" Isshin yells moronically.

"Last one there is a rotten egg, and has to be on top!" Masaki calls out, just before she runs in their bedroom ahead of him.

J J J J

Ichigo wakes up awhile later and sits up. Rukia is still napping. He decides to ask his dad some questions, so that he can take care of her. He grabs his now empty backpack. He silently leaves the tree house and heads home.

"When he steps in the house, he finds his father in front of the television. His mom isn't there.

"Dad, where's mom?" Ichigo asks.

"She's sleeping. She's worn out." Isshin says proudly.

"I got to talk to you dad." Ichigo says in a serious tone. His father looks a little surprised, but he flips off the television.

"What is it son?" He asks. Ichigo frowns, trying to figure out how to get answers without divulging the secret of the girl sleeping in his hideout.

"You said my name means number one guardian angel, right?" Ichigo asks, and his father smiles and nods yes. "So how do I learn to protect someone? Isn't that what guardian angels do?" Ichigo asks, scrunching up his face. His father gives him a compassionate look.

"First you have to become strong." Isshin says with no hesitation whatsoever.

"How do I do that?" Ichigo asks.

"You train. I've been talking to your mother about you starting karate. That is one way you can get strong. Plus pretty girls like strong men." Isshin says, still smiling.

"What else do I have to do?" Ichigo asks.

"You can't let becoming strong affect your heart. If you don't have the heart to care about others, you won't be able to protect them when you need to. No matter how strong you are, without heart it means nothing." Isshin says. Ichigo doesn't understand.

"Do people who become strong lose their hearts?" Ichigo asks.

"Some do. They forget what it was like before they were strong, and they use their strength to hurt others rather than protecting others." Isshin explains.

"What do you do if you have to protect someone before you're strong?" Ichigo asks next.

"You have to be smart about it. Protection isn't always about fighting. Sometimes it's knowing when to escape, or when to stop and sometimes it's about knowing when to let go. You can't always protect people, especially if they don't want you to." Isshin says with a little sadness in his eyes.

"What's the right way to take care of someone?" Ichigo asks next.

"It depends on the person. In my case, your mother needs to hit me a lot and keep me in my place. In your mother's case, I have to be strong, caring and aware of her needs. In your case, we have to teach you, make you strong, and teach you how to take care of yourself." His father explains, then he raises his eyebrows. "What's with all these questions, son?" Isshin asks. Ichigo realizes he needs to stop for now.

"Just stuff I was wondering about." Ichigo says, before standing up and heading back to his room. He finds a big tee shirt that he sometimes uses for sleeping and decides to bring it to Rukia for her to wear so he can wash her dress for her.

He's hand washed some of his own clothes before when he didn't want his parents to see he'd fallen in a creek or something. His mom had caught him once trying to wash a new shirt covered in mud, and instead of being angry, she showed him the proper way to hand wash it. He figures Rukia would probably like to wear a clean dress too. He knows he can't get away with putting her dress with his own dirty laundry for his mom to wash.

He also gets his own toothbrush and brings toothpaste and grabs a comb out of the bathroom. He also goes into the bathroom closet and grabs a new bar of soap. He gets two more hand towels and heads to the kitchen. His father went back to watching the tube, so Ichigo grabs some juice packs and some cheese from the refrigerator. He also grabs some fruit on the way out the door and he heads back to Rukia.

When he climbs into the tree house, he's glad to see she's still sleeping. He walks over to the wooden chest in the tree house that holds bug boxes, outdoor toys, the two way radios his dad had bought for Ichigo and himself to use when playing in the woods, among other things fit for a young boy. He sets the backpack inside and lays back down next to Rukia with his eyes open. He lays there awhile when he suddenly hears his dad's voice calling to him from below. Ichigo scrambles to the opening and looks down at his dad.

"I got called on a house call, seems a neighbor called because a young woman in the house passed out last night and still hasn't come to. Your mom is still napping. Do you want to come with me?"

"That's okay dad, I'll be okay. If I need something, I'll get mom." Ichigo calls back.

"Alright, see you later." His dad calls out before heading back towards the house. When he turns back around, he sees Rukia sitting up, eyes wide.

"It's okay, Rukia, it was just my dad, he's heading back now." Ichigo says reassuringly. Rukia nods and stretches her arms out.

"Your daddy?" She says.

"Yeah, he's the doctor of the area. He goes on house calls sometimes." Ichigo says. He's used to it, of course.

"Oh." Rukia knows she didn't like going to the doctor when her mom took her to the city hospital last year for her check ups and vaccination shots. She doesn't want to offend Ichigo, so she just looks at him.

"Did you sleep okay?" He asks her. She nods yes. "My mom is sleeping if you want to come to the house. I can wash your dress for you. Or I can go alone and wash it. I brought you a shirt to wear while I do." Ichigo says as he opens the chest, and his backpack and pulls out the shirt. Rukia nods and sits back down, looking up expectantly at him. He looks back at her.

"You got to unzip it in the back." Rukia finally says when he just stares at her, waiting.

"Oh." Ichigo says, blushing. He walks behind her and moves her hair out of the way of the back of the dress and locates the zipper. He unzips it down and Rukia stands up and shrugs out of the dress. He hands her the tee shirt keeping his eyes closed, and she slips it on. He takes her dress and grabs the rope again.

"When I get back, I'll take you to the creek so you can brush your teeth. There's cheese and fruit if you want to snack until I get back." Ichigo says before heading down the rope again.

Rukia pulls it back up after he's gone, and goes to grab a juice box, fruit and a piece of cheese. She briefly wonders about her sister, and hopes the men didn't catch her last night. She grins as she looks at everything Ichigo has already done for her. He has brought her towels, a tooth brush, soap, all kinds of things to make it seem like she has a home. He's even washing her dress.

"I like having him take care of me. I can pretend to be the mommy, he can pretend to be the daddy, and Chappy here can be our baby." Rukia says as she sits next to the stuffed rabbit Ichigo had brought her to cheer her up. She knows she was lucky to be saved by him like this. She hopes she doesn't run into his parents anytime soon. She doesn't know why, but the idea of a new adult around is just scary to her. She remembers Ichigo promised to take care of her forever, if Hisana is unable to find her.

Rukia has mixed feelings. She misses and loves her sister, but after a terror filled night and being saved by the bright and sunny Ichigo, she doesn't want to be separated from him either. He makes her feel safe, something she wasn't sure she'd ever feel again as her mother sent her and her sister out into the night.

J J J J

Masaki passes by the laundry room after waking up and sees her son scrubbing something. She doesn't really look at what he's cleaning though, she just looks at her son.

"Hey, my capable little man!" She says with a smile. Ichigo looks up at her with a guilty face. "Don't worry, I'm not mad that you got something dirty. You're such a good boy." Masaki says as she passes by the room and heads for the bathroom. Ichigo lets out a sigh of relief, glad his mom didn't notice he was washing a girl's dress. Ichigo rinses it out one more time and yells that he's going outside before tearing back to the tree house.

He grabs some clothes pins as he passes the clothesline outside and runs as fast as he can to their hideout. When he climbs up, he pins her wet dress to his rope and loops the rope around the branch so that her dress is hanging out to dry. He looks at her, sitting on the floor as she pets her stuffed rabbit. She smiles at him.

"I named it." Rukia says proudly.

"What?" Ichigo asks with confusion on his face.

"I named it Chappy." Rukia says, picking up the rabbit and standing in front of him. The shirt reaches the tops of her feet, and her eyes are flashing brightly. They're the bluest eyes he's ever looked at. He finds himself smiling in return.

"I'm glad you like it." Ichigo says. Rukia grabs his hand and shoves the rabbit under her other arm.

"I'm its mom, you're its dad. It's like we're a family!" Rukia says happily. Ichigo nods hesitantly. His own family? He doesn't dare argue with her for fear of losing the happy look that completely reaches her eyes. He nods.

"Yep." He agrees. She leans over and kisses him on the cheek, the way she used to see her mother do to her father.

"Thank you!" Rukia says before plopping back down on her butt with the rabbit, smiling happily.

"Sure." Ichigo says, his face red.

"I'm ready to brush my teeth." Rukia says. Ichigo is worried the tee shirt will get in the way of climbing down. He thinks for a second and smile at her.

"You shouldn't climb down in that. Let me go get some water and you can brush from up here." Ichigo says. Rukia nods. Once again, he's off to get something for her. Rukia pets Chappy and smiles lightly. Ichigo doesn't take long at all. He brings her a Dixie cup filled with water, and hands her his tooth brush. They're too young to be disgusted by the idea of sharing a tooth brush, so she brushes her teeth like her mom taught her, and spits out the water onto the lower tree branches. She hands the brush to Ichigo who proceeds to do the same. He pulls a picture book out of his chest and sits down next to her, putting the book between them.

"Fun!" Rukia exclaims as he opens the book and they admire the pictures. Once they finish the book, Rukia takes his hand again. He looks at her and smiles.

"Are you okay?" He asks, when he sees she looks sad.

"I like it here with you. I don't want to leave." Rukia says in a bare whisper. Ichigo squeezes her hand.

"I like having you here. Don't worry Rukia, I won't let anything happen to you." Ichigo says. Rukia nods.

"Want to play a game?" Ichigo asks, letting her hand go and jumping up and over to the chest. Rukia stands and hurries next to him.

"Yeah!" She replies happily. He pulls out some of the games and lets her choose.

J J J J

"So Doctor, will she be alright?" The young man asks Isshin. Isshin looks at the girl with a little bit of worry on his face.

"I can't find anything wrong with her. She should be awake now. Let me get my smelling salts." Isshin digs through his bag. He waves the salts around in front of the woman's face. Her nose wrinkles in displeasure and her eyes slowly open as she sees a man with black hair, looking at her with concern. He must be a doctor, he's dressed like it. Hisana shakes her head trying to get her bearings. She then notices the young man behind the doctor. The young man who she had grabbed onto when she realized she'd found help from her situation. She doesn't notice how he's taken aback by the deep blue color of her eyes.

"You're the one I ran to!" Hisana starts to smile as a wave of relief at getting away from the men hits her first. But her next thought sends her heart into a fluttering panic.

"Miss, what's wrong?" Isshin asks, worried at her alarmed expression.

"My sister!" Hisana sits straight up. "It's daytime?" She says even more panicked. "How long have I been out?" She wails.

"You're going to have to calm down young lady. Please calmly explain." Isshin says soothingly.

"I can't calm down! There were men chasing me last night! I must go and locate my sister! She's probably terrified out of her mind, if they haven't already found her!" Hisana's voice grows shriller by the second. Byakuya flinches at the sound of her anxiety.

"You still have to calm down! What good will you do your sister if you are hysterical?" Isshin asks, suddenly remembering his son had heard shouting in the woods last night. "Wait, you said men were chasing you?" He asks her. "My son mentioned that he heard men in the forest last night." Isshin says slowly.

"It was most likely them. I also must go and check on my mother. She sent us out the window and confronted my uncle herself."

"Your uncle?" The doctor nearly shouted. "What does your uncle have to do with all of this young lady?" Isshin is totally confused now, although he feels like he's forgetting something important.

"I should start at the beginning." Hisana mutters, "Even though time is of the essence." She says, glaring at the doctor in front of her.

"I will personally escort you to your house and help search for your sister if you patiently explain what on earth is going on and what you went through last night. When I got here, this young man said you had dirt and scratches on your face. He said you were out of breath from running through the woods and you were terrified. This young man happens to be related to the Prime Minister, so you would be doing well to explain the situation here and now." Isshin says firmly. Byakuya nods behind him.

"I was terribly worried about you…." He says, not knowing her name.

"Kanzaki Hisana," She supplies to the men. Isshin taps his head. He knows he has heard that name before. Kanzaki Atsushi! His eyes widen.

"You're Kanzaki Atsushi's daughter?" He asks.

"Yes, you knew my father?" She asks him.

"He came by my house about a month ago, he wanted to meet me, because he thought it would be easier to see the town doctor instead of driving to the city." Isshin says. "Your mother is Kanzaki Kiyoko, correct?" He asks. The girl nods.

"My father's brother is a pedophile. He decided to come to the house last night and break in. He chased us and my mom stayed behind to fight him. She sent my sister and I out through a window into the backyard and told me to find someone to protect us from our uncle. I've never actually met my uncle, he was never allowed around me or my sister. My mom told me she hadn't laid eyes on him since the day she married my father. I guess he attended the wedding. A few years ago, when my uncle showed up for an unexpected visit, my father made my mother and I hide in a separate part of the house. When I asked my father why, he explained his brother's sickness. I guess my mom was unable to hold him back for long, because they were chasing us. I knew if I had to keep holding my sister, I'd get caught so I hid her in a thick brush and ordered her to wait for me, or run the opposite way from me if she didn't hear anything for a long while. I ran off, making a bit of noise and managed to get them to chase me. I ran for a really long time before I reached this place." Hisana explains as quickly and efficiently as possible.

"Good lord, and so your sister is outside? We really should head to her place and spread out." Isshin says to the young man.

"I'm Kuchiki Byakuya. I am happy to be of assistance." Byakuya says to the pretty young woman. He turns to the doctor. "Is she okay to be up and walking?" He asks.

"She should be okay now. We should call the police and have them meet us at your parent's house." Isshin says softly. Hisana nods her assent.

J J J J

Ichigo and Rukia's games are interrupted by his mother. He hears her calling for him, and Ichigo looks apologetically at Rukia.

"I got to go eat dinner. I'll be back though, I promise." Ichigo says as is becoming his habit.

"I know you will. Don't tell them about me." Rukia pleads softly. Ichigo nods.

"Okay." He says before going back down the rope. He runs for the house and is surprised his father isn't there. Usually nothing interrupts family time, unless there's an emergency of some sort.

"Ichigo, your Dad won't be home for dinner." She says softly with a sad smile.

"Why, what's Dad doing? I thought he had a house call earlier." Ichigo says.

"I don't know the details yet, but your father said it was something serious." Masaki says to him.

"Oh." Ichigo says. "I'm going to sleep in the tree house tonight." Ichigo announces as he eats his dinner. His mother smiles.

"You really are a brave boy, you know that?" She asks. Ichigo grins proudly.

"I know, Mom." Ichigo says hurrying with dinner. He doesn't want Rukia to spend too long all alone out there.


	4. Chapter 3: I Want To Marry You

_Chapter 3_

_I Want To Marry You_

When they pull up to the Kanzaki's large sprawling home, the gentlemen with Hisana look surprised at the busted down front door. Hisana's heart starts pounding as they have beaten the police here. She tries to open the door, but Isshin stops her.

"We have to wait for the police." He says firmly.

"My mother could be in there, dying right now, I have to go in, I can't wait anymore!" Hisana insists as she pushes against the strong doctor. Her concern over her mother makes him rethink his decision.

"You could be right, if she's attacked, time could be of the essence for saving her." He says as he opens the busted door. Luckily for him, the police pull into sight. "But if they see us heading in now when they're in sight, we might be in for a long annoying lecture." Isshin whispers.

Byakuya stares at the house. He can't imagine the terror this small young woman must have gone through last night. The police pull up within moments and Hisana explains that she last saw her mother in the home ready to confront the attacker. The police enter the home first. When they come out, they motion for Hisana to walk over to them.

"There's no body. There is however a large bloodstain in the study. It appears as though the house was also ransacked. We also found something we'd like you to look at." The police officer says. Isshin and Byakuya have come up behind as support. Hisana is too upset now though.

"My mom stayed! She should be here, she wouldn't go, she knew what kind of man my uncle is!" Hisana shouts. The police officer stares at her.

"What about your uncle?" He asks.

"He's the one who broke in! He's a pedophile! He was after me and my sister!" She shrieks. The police give each other a look that Hisana misses through her tears. Isshin does not miss it though.

"Is there something you haven't told her, officer?" Isshin asks, recognizing the officer as one whose wife recently gave birth. Isshin had helped deliver the baby.

"There's a note." The officer says in a foreboding voice. Hisana's gaze jerks up.

"What? A note? What do you mean?" She asks. The officer walks into the house towards the dining room and kitchen area.

"Please, follow me." He requests. Hisana does as ordered, with Byakuya and Isshin close behind her. They walk into the home and lead Hisana to the dining table. On it is a note. Hisana immediately notices Rukia's blue barrette sitting on top of the note. More disturbingly, she sees a long strand of Rukia's hair trapped in the barrette's clip. She gasps.

_Hisana-han, _

_I have your sister. As the oldest next of kin, I am entitled to be her guardian. If you want her to keep on living then I suggest you forget about her. If I even feel like the police are closing in on me I'll kill her and then I'll kill myself. Your mother is with me as well. Don't worry I'll bury her myself. You are the only lucky one who gets to keep on living. I can't wait to see you again. Maybe after you have children, we'll meet. Little Rukia-chan will sit on my lap for the drive home. I had to give her a bath since she'd been running through the woods. You actually thought you could hide her from me? I suggest you don't call the police, but if you called them before you found this note, then I guess it's only a matter of time for your sister to live. I plan on leaving the country. Don't think you'll ever see Rukia-chan again._

_Love,_

_Uncle Gin_

Hisana's scream is loud. She collapses into Byakuya's arms from the contents of the letter. Isshin bends over to read it quickly and feels his face turning white at the implications of the letter. He looks at the blue barrette and his heart breaks for the little girl. The police look agitated.

"We need her awake. We must question her for our investigation!" The officer says loudly. Byakuya glares at him.

"You will be patient. This woman has been through hell and back for the past twenty four hours. Do I need to contact the Prime Minister myself about your atrocious behavior?" Byakuya hisses, feeling very protective of the woman in his arms. The officers finally notices who he is after that statement. They both take a couple of steps back.

"We weren't trying to offend, but there is a small child connected with this investigation, and time isn't a luxury we have." The officer says sadly. Byakuya nods.

"The doctor will wake her, and you will be patient and compassionate with her. Or else I will call the Prime Minister." Byakuya says in a low voice.

Isshin is impressed. He opens his medical bag which he brought by habit and pulls out the smelling salts. When she wakes up in Byakuya's arms, she blushes a little.

"It's okay, the police are here to help you, not hurt you." He tells her in a soft voice. She nods and looks at them. The younger officer steps forward.

"Please take a quick walk through the house with us, we'd like to know exactly what happened last night. Walk us through the incident, please."

For the next hour, Hisana walked them through the entire incident, starting in the den. When they went down the hallways, towards the study, Hisana gasps as she notices something missing.

"The family portrait is missing!" Hisana says in surprise. The police officer writes something down on a notepad. Hisana takes them to her father's study and she flinches when she sees the large amount of dried blood on the carpet, it still looks fresh though. Hisana feels tears running down her cheek. _Mother!_

"This is the window we escaped from when my uncle was pounding on the locked door." Hisana tears roll down as she walks over and looks out. _Rukia!_

JJJJ

"I'm going outside, Mom!" Ichigo hollers as he runs out the door. When he makes his way to Rukia in the tree house, she is sitting there with her eyes closed. They open as he climbs in though.

"Thank you for hurrying." Rukia says looking at him with relief. She was starting to get nervous. "I was wondering if they'd be out looking for me again." Rukia says in a whisper.

"I don't know, but they won't find you up here." Ichigo says confidently.

"I know. I did go down while you were out, to go potty though. That's when I started getting scared. I hurried back up here as fast as I could after." Rukia says. Ichigo looks sadly at her as he pulls off a second backpack. He'd left the first one in the tree house.

"I brought something for you." Ichigo says proudly. Rukia looks interested.

"What?" Rukia asks. Ichigo pulls out crayons and coloring books and smiles at her. Rukia squeals. "I love to color!" Rukia cries out. Ichigo grins. He also pulls out a flashlight. Rukia looks at the coloring books and then back at Ichigo with a very happy expression on her face. "Thank you!" She says happily.

"Don't thank me. I'm just trying to help." Ichigo says. Rukia nods.

"If I hadn't met you when I did…" Rukia stops and grabs Ichigo's hands. "I have to thank you. My Mom would be mad if I didn't." Rukia says softly. Ichigo nods. He starts to pull away but she holds onto his hands.

"Rukia?" Ichigo asks, a little nervous, a little confused. Rukia grins and then kisses his cheek and then lets go of him. She looks very pleased with herself. Ichigo falls back on his butt looking at the pretty girl. Rukia falls to her knees in front of him, staring at him intently. Ichigo frowns and stares back.

"Ichigo," Rukia whispers loudly. Ichigo scoots away a little and Rukia crawls forward. He's unprepared for the way she throws herself at him and wraps him in a big bear hug. Ichigo's back and head fall back onto the floor from her pounce. "You're the best!" Rukia says into his ear, holding him tightly. Ichigo opens his eyes and hugs her back. She's embarrassing him.

"No, I'm not the best." He says softly. Rukia squeezes him tighter, causing him to not be able to breathe.

"Yes you are, you're the best. Thank you!" Rukia says in a very happy voice. Ichigo nods and tries to push her off. Rukia won't have it though.

"Rukia…I can't…breathe," Ichigo manages to squeeze out. Rukia immediately loosens her hold on him.

"Then don't try to get away. I'm trying to thank you." Rukia says, finally pulling back and glaring at him. Ichigo pales.

"You just made me nervous, that's all." Ichigo says, not really understanding why she made him feel that way. After all, he had his arm around her in his sleep, he's held her hand, and she kissed him earlier. She even called him her family.

"Why?" Rukia asks. Ichigo practically groans. If he can't explain it to himself, how's he supposed to explain it to her? He thinks about it for a minute before responding.

"It will be hard when your sister comes for you." Ichigo whispers. He hates himself for hoping the sister never appears. Rukia looks at him and nods.

"That won't change how I feel about you, Kurosaki Ichigo," Rukia says as she lays her head in his lap and jams her thumb in her mouth. Ichigo looks down at her wide eyed before running his hands over her hair. "I want to marry you someday." Rukia says before starting to drift into sleep. Ichigo's hand stills. Married, like Mom and Dad. A small smile appears on his face as he looks down at the pretty girl resting in his lap. He would like very much to always take care of her.

"Okay," He whispers. Rukia hears this and smiles.

"It's a promise." She says. Ichigo nods his head and lets her lay there awhile.

"A promise I swear to make you keep." Ichigo says, surprising himself. He grins as he remembers his Dad saying on several occasions in the past that Ichigo won't ever find a girl to marry him if he does this or acts like that. That's one problem down. He has a girl to marry. Ichigo yawns and lifts her head from his lap. Just like the night before, he lays down with her, but he doesn't sleep. He does keep his arm around her though.

JJJJ

Masaki is cleaning up the kitchen when she hears a knock on the door. She walks over to it and peers out the window of the door. She sees a man she's never seen before, he looks rather creepy. Masaki doesn't open the door, in fact she slides the chain on the door.

"Can I help you?" She calls out through the door. The man sees her through the window.

"I'm just wondering if you've seen this little girl!" The man calls out. He holds up a family portrait up to the window and points at a small child.

"Her name is Kanzaki Rukia, she's been missing since late last night and I'm with the search party. Have you seen her?" He asks. Gin watches her carefully for any sign of recognition of the name or face. When she shows none, he's relieved.

"No, I'm sorry but I have never seen that child before." Masaki calls out.

"Sorry to have bothered you," Gin says, turning away.

"Good luck!" Masaki calls out. The man waves as he walks quickly towards a car. Masaki breathes a sigh of relief that he's gone.

He made her uncomfortable on every level. Masaki trusts her instincts regarding people, and that man looked dangerous. She wonders if it was a search party in the woods last night that her son heard. She wishes Isshin had been home when this man arrived. She looks out and sees the car disappearing down the road. She leans against the door and tries to calm herself.

Not ten minutes later, a uniformed officer shows up at the door and requests to do a search of her home for the missing three year old child. Masaki allows the officer to search her home.

The officer leaves twenty minutes later, satisfied the girl isn't there.

JJJJ

Hisana points to a large brushy area.

"That is where I hid her." She explains. "I told her to stay put for a long time until nobody was around and then to run the other way." She explains. She notices the worried look on Isshin. She looks pointedly at him. "What?" She asks.

"I already told you my son heard shouting in the woods, right?" Isshin reminds her. She nods her head yes.

"I do believe you said something like that earlier shortly after you woke me up the first time." Hisana says slowly.

"I don't live within shouting distance of your home or the Kuchiki home." Isshin says gently.

"You mean they found her when she was headed in the direction of your home?" Hisana wails. Isshin nods sadly. Hisana can feel that she is beginning to lose her composure.

"Was she wearing a blue barrette like the one by the note?" An officer asks as he looks expectantly at her.

"Yes, Sir. She was wearing that barrette last night." Hisana says. The police look at each other.

"It seems we have to take the note seriously and assume he has the child in question." The officer says. The other officer nods his head.

"Yes, she probably didn't get far if the woods were searched from here, to the Kuchiki house to the Kurosaki residence." The other officer agrees. Hisana cries harder.

"Rukia! Why couldn't they have caught me instead?" She falls to the ground in her despair.

"We should search the area for clues." One officer says, ignoring Hisana's breakdown. Byakuya glares.

"We're going to get a few of her personal items and she'll be staying at my home if you have any more questions." Byakuya tells them in a cold voice as he helps Hisana to her feet. The one officer nods, and ignores the kid. The other officer tips his hat.

"Of course Kuchiki-san. We'll be sending an officer by to answer more questions. Perhaps she should get some rest before they arrive." The more respectful officer turns to follow the first after stating this. Isshin looks at Byakuya.

"I'll come by in the morning to check on her. That officer is correct, after the shock she's received, she really needs rest." Isshin says sadly. Byakuya nods and bows his head in respect to the doctor. "I'll come back with you since my car is still at your house." Isshin says, smiling as Byakuya picks the woman gently up in his arms and carries her into the house.

"Where is your room?" Byakuya asks her softly. Hisana points the way once they're in the house and he quickly locates her room. He finds a suitcase in her closet and asks her to please pick out some clothes to bring with her. Hisana pulls herself together enough to be set down and to pack her suitcase. She also goes to Rukia's room and grabs some of her clothes too, just in case she's ever reunited with her. She's shocked when she notices some of Rukia's clothes and pajamas are missing. Her face pales.

"He took some of her stuff, clothes, toys, underwear." Hisana's voice cracks dangerously. Byakuya stops her from packing anymore of Rukia's things.

"I'm sorry, but you have to stop now. It's part of the crime scene." He says softly. She nods and only grabs one pair of underwear for her sister and one set of pajamas. She grabs two dresses. She can't let go of hope. She then heads for the bathroom where she gets Rukia's and her own tooth brush, her hair products and some other lady items. Byakuya waits outside the bathroom. She insists on getting her baby book, picture albums, and her family video collection before leaving with Isshin and Byakuya.

There's an officer on the first floor and Byakuya informs him that Hisana noticed toys and clothes missing from Rukia's room. The officer nods, writes down the information, and looks at the stuff Hisana is taking. When he sees the photo album, he requests to take a few pictures of her mother and sister for the investigation. Hisana lets him take a few pictures before they leave.

The ride back to the Kuchiki home is disturbingly silent.

"Thanks for the ride," Isshin waves as he gets into his own car and grins at the way Byakuya is gently helping Hisana inside the house. He frowns when he thinks of the young girl that is missing though.

Byakuya is concerned about the girl by his side. He wishes he had met her under entirely different circumstances. The current ones are terrible. He leads her back to the guest room she had slept in last night.

"You have a bathroom connected to this room if you want a bath, and if you need anything, I'll be here, and if not me, I have two servants." He says looking at her.

"You have servants?" She asks, her voice shaking.

"Yes, they changed your sheets while we were gone," He says, nodding his head approvingly. "There's a servant's wing in the house. My parents are hardly ever here. This house was built for me." He finishes.

"I'm so sorry about my sudden appearance. I know I've been a lot of trouble. I'd like to thank you for your hospitality." Hisana says with a bow. She notices he's trying not to grin at her.

"It's never trouble to help a beautiful woman especially in light of the circumstances." Byakuya says magnanimously as Hisana blushes. "If there is anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable, you just need to tell me. If you are hungry, dinner is downstairs. If you need to talk, I'll be here as well. I would appreciate if you would join me for dinner this evening." Byakuya says.

"Of course, when would you like me to join you?" She asks.

"If you're hungry now, then we can eat now. If you'd like to take a bath then we can eat after that instead." Byakuya says. Hisana smiles gratefully at him.

"I would love to join you after taking a bath. Thank you Kuchiki-sama." She agrees. Byakuya finds her smile and her answer both perfect and enchanting. Her voice is what you'd expect an angel's voice to sound like. He wants to hear her say his name, but it would create a lot of speculation if he asked that of her. Byakuya gives a low and respectful bow. Hisana bows in return and he backs out of the room.

JJJJ

"Isshin, thank goodness you're home!" Masaki says uncharacteristically as her husband walks through the door. His face pales immediately.

"Is everything okay? Is Ichigo okay?" Isshin immediately asks. Masaki smiles and shakes her head yes.

"Everything is okay, but I've been pacing for the past hour! A really creepy man came to the door, but I didn't let him inside. Then the police came to the door to search our home!" She tells her husband. Isshin scratches his head. All of this happened while he was gone?

"Did they give you a reason for coming to our door?" Isshin asks.

"Both times it was about looking for a little girl, the first wanted to know if I'd seen her and the officer searched our home for her." Masaki answers quickly. Isshin lets out a sigh and goes to the couch to sit down.

"Yeah, Kanzaki Rukia. She has been missing since last night." Isshin says to his wife. She gasps.

"You know about this?" She asks him.

"It's terrible, but it seems like the girl has been taken by her deranged uncle. He's a pedophile." Isshin says. Masaki's eyes fill with tears and guilt at the way she'd treated the man who had come to the door.

"That's horrible! Kidnapped by a pedophile?" She asks as she clutches her chest with her hands and sits next to her husband. "And it's her uncle?" She asks him.

"Unfortunately. The note he left at the Kanzaki residence said he was leaving the country with the girl, and that if he thought the police were closing in on him, he'd kill her and then himself. It also looks like he murdered the mother in her own home and took the body with him." Isshin says.

"How sick!" Masaki breathes, grateful the man hadn't targeted her child. She shivers at the maliciousness of the act. She says a silent prayer for the mother whose face she remembers from the portrait.

"The sister was hysterical. Kuchiki Byakuya has decided to care for her. Wouldn't surprise me if he pops the question the way he told off the officers who were questioning her, and the way he was protecting her. He looked like a man in love." Isshin tells his wife.

"The sister?" Masaki asks, remembering the portrait had two girls and not one. The sister was much older than the little girl she had been asked about, though. Probably old enough to think about marriage.

"It's a gut wrenching story. Her uncle busted down the front door last night, and the mother dragged her children into the study. They locked the door and the mother made her girls slip out the window to escape. The mother stayed and waited for the uncle to break in and she confronted him alone. There was a very large amount of blood on the floor of the study. She couldn't have survived if it was all hers." Isshin says softly.

"That's terrible!" Masaki breathes, and her husband continues.

"The uncle had some accomplices with him as well. They chased the girls, and the older sister, Hisana hid her sister in some brush in order to draw the criminals after her, and away from her sister. She ran until she came to the Kuchiki residence. The younger girl ended up heading in the direction of our house and it seems she was found by the men. The older sister, Hisana, practically broke down when she saw the letter her uncle left. He also left the little girl's blue barrette that Hisana confirmed her to be wearing last night. He left it on top of the letter. The uncle also took a bunch of things from the home as well." Isshin tells her. "That little girl is in a terrible heap of trouble. Apparently the uncle likes young kids or kids who have yet to hit puberty. He's been caught in the past with touching little kids before. His note even mentioned something about how on the drive home, he'd be holding her in his lap." Isshin makes an angry face.

"This is unheard of! These are the types of crimes Japan is known for not having! The sister must be out of her mind with worry. To think they found the little girl after the sister tried to save her by hiding her, and they killed the mother!" Masaki says, her heart going out to Hisana.

"The kidnappers were probably what Ichigo heard last night. I'm glad he didn't climb down and investigate." Isshin says, sending a shiver through his wife's back.

"You think they would have taken him?" She asks.

"Pedophiles who like prepubescent kids, often don't care if they're assaulting a boy or a girl. The body structures at a young age are very similar." Isshin says, wishing these types of crimes never happened.

"To think Ichigo was out there last night!" Masaki breathes in heavily. "He's out there again tonight! Should we make him come in?" She asks him. Isshin shakes his head no.

"We should not even tell him this happened. All we need to do is reinforce to him that he shouldn't be talking to strangers, and tell him he was good to stay in the tree house when he heard the noises." Isshin says kissing his wife on the cheek.

"What a tragic story. How is the sister now?" Masaki asks.

"I'm not sure. I told Kuchiki Byakuya-san that I would come by in the morning to check on her. She didn't look very good when he was helping her into the house." Isshin says exhaustedly. Masaki nods.

"Should we check on Ichigo before going to bed?" She asks. Isshin knows she means him, and not we.

"He's probably sleeping. He'll be okay. Let's go to bed." Isshin says wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Are you sure?" Masaki asks, standing and putting her hand on her hips. Isshin sighs in defeat before she starts beating him.

"Fine. I'll go check on him." Isshin says with another sigh. Masaki smiles with a nod of her head.

"Good. I'm going to take a hot shower." She tells him before heading off.


	5. Chapter 4: A Man In The Forest

Chapter 4

_A Man In The Forest_

Ichigo hears his dad coming. He was about to fall asleep, too. He opens his eyes up when he hears the forest become still. He hears the footsteps and sits up quickly. He feels the tree shake a little bit when his dad starts to climb up. Ichigo scrambles to the opening before his dad can get very far up. He looks down at his dad with surprised eyes.

"Dad? What are you doing?" Ichigo calls out loudly, in case Rukia needs to start climbing to the roof. His dad lets go and Ichigo hears him drop to the ground.

"Your Mom insisted I check on you. I didn't mean to scare you, I just figured you'd already be asleep by now." His dad says, looking up.

"I was just about to go to sleep. I'm okay." Ichigo says, his heart pounding.

"Alright, good night son," Isshin says.

"Good night, Pop. Tell Mom I said good night too," Ichigo says.

"Alright, see you in the morning." His father says before walking off. Ichigo sits back and breathes a sigh of relief. If he had fallen asleep, his father would have found her for sure. He jumps when he feels Rukia's hands on his shoulders. She woke up from the ordeal.

"Are you okay, Ichigo?" Rukia asks him softly, rubbing his shoulders the way she often saw her Mom do for her Dad when he was stressed out. He takes a deep breath.

"I'm okay. Are you okay?" He asks her, closing his eyes.

"I'm okay. You were both so loud I was ready to scramble up the wall if I needed to." Rukia whispers in his ear.

"I was ready to fall asleep when he came out here." Ichigo says shakily. Rukia lifts her hands and sits back down by the pillow. Ichigo crawls over to join her.

"It's okay, Ichigo, let's go back to sleep." Rukia says with a yawn. Ichigo nods and lays down next to her. He throws his arm around her protectively and closes his eyes. He feels bad about hiding her from his parents, but it's what she wants. He wonders why what she wants matters so much, but then he realizes they've agreed to get married. His Dad did everything his mother wanted. _That seems to make Mom happy, and that's why I'm doing everything I can for Rukia. She should be happy too._

With these thoughts he falls asleep. Rukia turns towards him and puts her arms around him, finding comfort in his embrace. When she starts whimpering from the nightmares, he opens his eyes and puts his hand on her cheek. He kisses her forehead. He softly tells her everything will be okay, and she calms in his arms. She doesn't ever completely awaken as this is happening though. It happens repeatedly throughout the night, and Ichigo wakes up each time to comfort her back into peaceful dreams.

"It's okay, Rukia. I'll protect you. I'm here for you." Ichigo tells her each and every time before he falls back asleep himself.

J J J J

Isshin walks back into the house and into the kitchen. It's already ten o'clock. He spent practically all day with Hisana and the police. He realizes he missed the famous Kurosaki family dinner as well. They were extraordinary circumstances. This is how he justifies it before opening the refrigerator and checking for leftovers. He finds some food that appeals to him and heats it up. Masaki joins him halfway through his dinner, since she's finished showering.

"Ichigo is okay?" She asks, though not concerned, since he wouldn't be sitting her happily eating if anything were wrong with Ichigo.

"Yeah, I scared him when I started climbing up. He was just about to fall asleep." Isshin says with a laugh. Masaki grins.

"Thank you for checking on him." Masaki says, happy Ichigo is fine.

"Anything for you, my dear." Isshin says as he is nearly finished eating.

"It's too bad about that little girl. She would have been a perfect playmate for Ichigo, so close in age." Masaki says, feeling her heart go out to the small child who she's never met.

"Yeah, the whole thing is heartbreaking. The thing though is that it was a family member. It's not like we don't know who the perpetrator is. We don't have an unknown pedophile living in the area that we don't know about." Isshin says, trying to comfort his wife.

"I know. Still the whole thing makes you open your eyes a little wider and consider your own child." Masaki says.

"I think he's old enough to start karate." Isshin tells his wife. "He was asking me today about the meaning of his name and how you protect someone. I think he's ready. Don't you agree?" Isshin asks Masaki, sensing she'll be agreeable right now.

"You're right. It's never too young to learn how to defend yourself, or others. I agree we should sign him up." Masaki says with a smile. "I know you want to move, and I agree we should, but lets wait awhile longer. I do love this place, and it's perfectly secluded for our current mission." Masaki says with a smile. Their current mission is to conceive.

"I do want to move, but I'm not in a rush. Ichigo loves it here, even if there aren't any kids nearby to play with. If he goes to the dojo in the town, he'll meet some kids. I know you like it out here, but the town isn't so bad. I can open an actual clinic in Karakura Town if we live there. It seems Ishida has plans to build a hospital in town though. That will make it grow, and bring people and jobs." We'll be better able to support our new baby when it finally comes too," Isshin says. He finishes his drink and smiles at Masaki. She sighs and sits back.

"Isshin, I'm happy to put off moving for as long as possible. I know we'll have to eventually, but for now, lets enjoy it while we can." Masaki watches as her husband stands.

"Of course. I'm going to go shower so we can continue our mission." He tells her with a smile. Masaki nods.

"I'll be waiting." She tells him. Isshin winks at her before running for the shower as Masaki giggles and goes to wait for him in the bedroom.

J J J J

It has been a week since Isshin, Hisana, and Byakuya had seen the kidnapping note. Tensions have been running high for many of them, but for Hisana the most.

Hisana hadn't been able to give the police any descriptions, because she had been busy running away from and not studying her assailants. Byakuya threatened the police every time they came over with a phone call to the Prime Minister if they didn't watch how they talked to Hisana. Hisana grew more and more depressed as the days wore on and she imagined the kind of torture her small sister must be enduring at the hands of her demented uncle. She thanked Byakuya profusely for all of his support, and she found herself unable to sleep very well at night.

When she did fall asleep, she usually woke up to Byakuya shaking her awake from a nightmare. The first time it happened, she sat up and clung to Byakuya sobbing for her sister. Her dreams were worse than her conscious imaginings. Byakuya held her close every time she had a nightmare, and even stayed with her until she fell back asleep. She was growing attached to him very quickly.

Isshin had gone to town to enroll Ichigo in Karate at a dojo with a well respected instructor. He and Masaki found that they had many opportunities to carry out their mission since Ichigo was insisting on sleeping in his tree house every night. Isshin had been called by the end of the week about Hisana's inability to sleep well and he had prescribed her a sleeping aide.

Ichigo kept taking care of Rukia's needs, bringing her out food and drinks to the tree house and finally bringing her some of his more neutral colored clothes to wear to explore around the woods. Rukia was becoming less scared, as Hisana was becoming more frantic. Rukia and Ichigo are oblivious to what the adults believed happened to Rukia.

They become very close, and even though Ichigo refuses to treat Chappy like a child, he still sits next to her and smiles when she says motherly things to the stuffed rabbit. He also brings her some strawberries that his Mom had brought home.

J J J J

One of Gin's buddies had stayed in town to get word on what was going on regarding the investigation. He's supposed to call Gin when the girl is located. When he calls to inform Gin that the police believe Gin took her, Gin swears.

"Fuck. If she wandered out into that forest and nobody has found her or seen her, does that mean she's dead? I wanted her alive, not dead! What about the sister? Are you sure she's not secretly hiding the sister? Are they even searching the area?" Gin asks his cohort.

"The sister can't possibly have her. I heard an officer in the bar talking about it with his partner. The sister is on the verge of a mental breakdown at the disappearance of her sister, whom she believes to be in your clutches. I still can't believe she separated from a child that young in a forest! If a three year old gets out into the forest, it's highly likely she survives without someone helping her. You were with us when we checked the surrounding homes. Nobody showed any recognition of that child. Her father really did keep her away from people. Also, I don't believe they have searched beyond one day to look for clues to her disappearance." He responds to Gin.

"Alright Kotobuki, keep me updated. Search that forest again too." Gin says before hanging up. He turns towards the bar as another man looks at him with a strange face.

J J J J

"Ichigo, don't you think you should spend the night in your room tonight? It's supposed to get cold, the summer is about over." Masaki says to her son at dinner. Ichigo quickly looks up, and swallows quickly.

"I'll take my sleeping bag out. I really like it out there. Don't make me sleep in the house just because it's getting a little cold outside!" Ichigo says loudly. Masaki looks surprised.

"I don't want you to get sick though." Masaki says, sounding like she's ready to put her foot down.

"He can handle it! He can take my sleeping bag too. That way he'll be double covered. The walls of the tree house I built keep out the winds." Isshin says, wanting to keep continuing on the mission that night.

"Ichigo, I don't mind you spending the night out there, but it's starting to get cold. Winter will be here before you know it. You can stay out tonight but you're going to have to sleep inside soon." Masaki relents. "If you get too cold, you don't hesitate to come inside. Enjoy it for now, because the weather won't stay decent enough for you to keep sleeping out there. You could die from the cold." Masaki says. Ichigo's eyes widen.

"Okay, Mom." Ichigo agrees. He needs to tell Rukia about this. He can't have her dying in his tree house.

"Want me to help you carry up the sleeping bags?" Isshin asks Ichigo. Ichigo is close to finishing dinner.

"Yeah, sure dad." Ichigo says, and then gulps. He will have to be noisy when they're getting near the tree house, so that she has time to hide before his dad gets up there. He hopes she isn't sleeping. He wonders if she should find an excuse to go ahead of his dad. Isshin grins as he tries to remember where he last put his sleeping bag. Ichigo finishes his dinner and walks his plate to the sink.

"I'm going to go get a sweatshirt!" Ichigo announces as he runs to his room. He hides a second sweatshirt in his rolled up sleeping bag before running it out by the back door. He also runs to the kitchen and grabs a couple of juice packs to stick in his sleeping bag as well. He worries that it's already getting cold. At least she has the coat she arrived with.

"Ichigo, are you waiting for your father," Masaki asks, noticing Ichigo by the door.

"Yes. Dad! What's taking so long?" Ichigo calls out.

"I'm looking for my sleeping bag! Go ahead of me, I'll find it in the next five minutes, there's only a few places I would store it! I'll be right behind you!" Isshin yells from his bedroom. Ichigo runs over and hugs his mom before running back and grabbing his sleeping bag. He takes off at top speed thanking the lord his father is an idiot.

"I'm leaving!" Ichigo yells as he disappears from his mother's sight. He runs as fast as he can to the tree house. "Rukia!" Ichigo calls as soon as he's in hearing distance. Rukia pokes her head out.

"What?" She asks him.

"My dad's coming! Get on the roof, take your coat up there too!" Ichigo calls out as he makes the attempt to stick his arms through the bands that hold the sleeping bag rolled. He finally balances it on his back like a backpack and climbs up the tree.

"I got to bring Chappy up too!" He hears her say.

"Shhhh!" He says. He can hear his dad yelling to Masaki like he's leaving the house. He makes his way three quarters of the way up when his dad reaches the tree.

"I found it!" His father calls out loudly. "Now you'll be warm tonight!" He says in a joyful voice.

Thanks, Dad." Ichigo calls out. He's nearly to the opening. His dad waits for his orange hair to disappear inside before climbing up behind him. Ichigo is relieved to see all signs of Rukia's presence are not visible. He sets the bag down and waits for his Dad to come up. It doesn't take long. Isshin arrives up in record time. He gets in the tree house and removes the sleeping bag from his back and sets it next to Ichigo's.

"You start you karate class tomorrow." Isshin tells Ichigo. Ichigo's eyes widen.

"Really?" Ichigo asks, pleased.

"Yeah, before dinner I take you into town. You'll have the chance to meet some kids your own age too." Isshin tells him. "Get a good night's rest, okay?" He says with a smile.

"Good night, Dad." Ichigo says. He watches as his dad grabs the rope and swings down to the ground. He pulls up the rope once he feels the weight gone from it. He hears his dad walk away, and shout to his mom when he goes inside. Ichigo sighs a breath of relief, as he hears Rukia drop her coat back in and climb down with Chappy. She sits down and he joins her. The sounds of the forest come alive.

"What is karate, Ichigo?" Rukia asks him.

"It's one way to become strong. So that I can protect you." Ichigo replies. "You'll be okay while I'm gone. You can sit up here and color in the coloring book. I'll ask my parents to buy me some more when we're in town tomorrow too." Ichigo whispers.

"Oh." Rukia hugs Chappy tight against her. "I'm glad you protect me Ichigo." She whispers as she rubs Chappy's ears. "What are those?" She asks as she points at the sleeping bags. She grabs a piece of candy off the floor as she watches him unroll the smaller sleeping bag. He throws her a sweatshirt and pulls out the juice packs. Rukia smiles brightly.

"It's supposed to be cold tonight. It's not too late yet, but my mom almost made me stay in my room." Ichigo tells her as she pulls the sweatshirt on over her blue dress. (She still wears that the most) "It's going to get too cold to sleep out here at night soon." Ichigo says. Rukia looks at Ichigo with worry. He lays the bag out on the ground like a makeshift mattress.

"When that happens, what will you do?" Rukia asks fearfully.

"You're still scared of my parents?" Ichigo asks nervously. Rukia nods yes. "I guess when the time comes that my mom makes me stay in, I'll have to sneak you in too." Ichigo says, dreading that day. He sits next to her. "I'll find an excuse to at least come tell you about it if I can." Ichigo says. "My room is on the second floor. My parent's room is on the first floor. If my Mom forbids me from coming back for whatever excuse I find to give, you'll have to think I'm being made to stay in if I don't get back in the usual amount of time." Ichigo says. "It might be easier to sneak you in before she stops me from sleeping out here, since I think that time will come soon." Ichigo says. "It will be hard though. At least one of them is always around, and they usually stay up kind of late." Ichigo tells her. Rukia frowns. What if he can't get her in? Ichigo seems to read her thoughts as he looks at her face. He takes her hand. "I'll definitely get you in somehow. Don't worry about it. Let me worry about it." He tells her quietly. She nods.

"I'll leave it to you." Rukia says. Ichigo nods.

"You'll have to be quiet when you come in." Ichigo says as he stands and walks over to the chest where the crayons are. He pulls them out along with a coloring book. He opens it up to the back and sits next to Rukia. He starts to explain how to get to his room with a drawing. "When you go in the back door, you end up in the family room which is right next to the kitchen. My parent's room is on the other side of the family room and the steps are by the front door. My room is at the end of the hall." He says. Basically his room is above his father's study, which is across from his parent's bedroom. Rukia studies his drawing and smiles.

"Let me know when we are headed there." Rukia says. Ichigo thinks about it. The kitchen and family room give a good view of the backyard. His best chance to get her in unnoticed will be when his dad is working in his study and his mom is either sleeping or showering. Or in the middle of the night. He remembers that his mom told him he can come in at night if he gets too cold. He wonders if his dad would wake up at the door opening.

Ichigo stands and unrolls his dad's sleeping bag. He folds it in half at the bottom of the smaller sleeping bag. He puts the pillow at the other edge of the sleeping bag, directly in the center. Rukia stands up and sits on the sleeping bag. Ichigo sits next to her, and holds her hand. They both sit there, quietly listening to the sounds of the forest.

They both look at each other fearfully when they hear the forest quiet down. It's an eerie quiet. Rukia starts shaking and squeezes Ichigo's hand. She's frozen still taking short nervous breaths. Ichigo is in similar condition.

He strains his ears to hear for any sound. He's glad his mom didn't force him to stay in tonight. If Rukia was out here by herself, then he couldn't be here to comfort her and hold her hand.

He flinches when he hears the sound of sticks breaking. Someone is near. She lets go of his hand buries her face in his chest, wraps her arms around his waist and starts to cry quietly. Ichigo flinches at the noise and hugs her back as he tries to hold his breath. It sounds as if someone just fell into the creek.

"Damn it!" The man yells loudly. Ichigo and Rukia both jump at the sound of his voice. Ichigo knows now that this is not his father, and the person outside is very close. The creek is only about nine meters (thirty feet) away. He's really glad his dad made such a hidden tree house for him. He hears splashing as though the man is stomping out of the creek. Rukia's whimpering gets a bit louder.

"Shhhh" Ichigo hisses urgently at her. The worst thing she can do is be noisy at a time like this. Rukia quiets down quickly. The man can be heard cursing as he walks away from the creek.

"Shit, did she fall in one of these creeks and drown?" They hear the man muttering but they can't make out his words. Rukia is shaking and Ichigo can do nothing more than he already is. He leans down and kisses the top of her head.

"It will be okay," he whispers in her ear in his quietest whisper. He doesn't say anymore, he cocks his head listening. The man can be heard walking around, but he doesn't seem to be moving any farther away. It sounds like he's circling them. Ichigo's heart races. He wonders why the man hasn't moved away yet. He wonders if the man realizes he's so close to a residence. The man is starting to get closer to the house. Ichigo and Rukia keep holding each other, both of them terrified. Ichigo keeps listening, and he wishes the person, whoever he was would just go away.

J J J J

"Isshin, do you see that?" Masaki asks as she points outside. It appears to be a light in the woods, like a flashlight.

"It's probably Ichigo, probably just going to the bathroom before he goes to sleep." Isshin says, snuggling against her chest. Masaki knows he could be right, but he could be wrong.

"Check it out anyways. If it's Ichigo, tell him to head up into the tree. There was a child recently kidnapped. I don't know why but I feel like it's best to be safe rather than sorry." Masaki says. Isshin sighs. She's right. He pulls on a robe and heads out.

"I'll be back soon." Isshin says as he heads towards the light in the woods. He doesn't bother to grab a flashlight, and he's surprised to see the light coming closer to the house. Isshin starts wondering if Masaki is right. Isshin yells out. "Hey! Who's there?"

"A person? Oh thank goodness! I got lost in that forest around midday! I was worried I wouldn't make it out of there!" A man appears. He's dressed like an officer. His flashlight is an officer issued type. A water flask is attached to his belt.

"Officer, you got lost in the woods? Do you need to come inside and use the telephone?" Isshin asks concerned.

"Sure, that'd be great. I'm off duty," He walks towards Isshin and follows him towards the house. Ichigo and Rukia breathe a sigh of relief as they hear the man's voice fade away. "I decided to go out into to look for clues to the little girl's disappearance. I have a little girl too, and the case got to me a bit," the officer confesses to the doctor of the town.

"My wife and I were affected by it too. It's hard to accept that such a defenseless child could be preyed upon in such a horrendous manner. Any animal who preys on kids makes me sick." Isshin says vehemently. The officer nods his head.

"You know about that?" The officer asks. Isshin nods his head.

"I was there when the letter from the uncle was discovered by the victim's sister. She is in a really bad state as a result of the whole thing. She keeps saying, if only she hadn't left her sister behind. I think they both would have gotten caught if she'd hung onto the kid though." Isshin says sadly.

"It's a real tragedy that this had to happen. I hope we're able to recover the girl alive." The officer says. They reach the back door. Isshin allows him in and shows him the phone.

"Thanks. I'll just call my buddy on the force to come pick me up." He tells Isshin. He dials a friend in town that he's made at the bar. The friend doesn't answer. Isshin notices the officer's let down face.

"Something the matter?" Isshin asks.

"My buddy isn't answering. I hate to call my wife. She's pregnant with our second child." The officer says. Isshin smiles. He hopes that he can say that about Masaki soon.

"Congratulations. I can take you home if you'd like." Isshin says. The officer looks relieved.

"I'd appreciate that very much, I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience, but it might be easier if you just take me to near the Kanzaki house where my car is parked." He tells Isshin. Isshin hold up his hand.

"I'm happy to do it. Don't worry about it, just let me tell my wife." Isshin says. The officer nods and Isshin disappears as he walks away in the dark house towards the bedroom.

"Damn. I didn't find anything." He mutters. Isshin appears a minute later, twirling keys in his hands. He thinks about the conversation he heard the strange man in town having on the phone.

"Follow me." He guides the officer out front where his car is. They get in.

"Thanks again." The man says.

J J J J

Ichigo and Rukia both are really relieved. They're still holding each other though, since neither one feels comfortable about the situation. They both feel better once the sounds of the forest come alive again though. Ichigo thinks he hears a bat fluttering around.

"I'm glad my Dad got rid of him." Ichigo says softly. Rukia doesn't respond right away. She slowly sits up and looks at him.

"I wasn't alone this time, but it was still just as scary, because I was worried for both of us." Rukia tells Ichigo before hugging him again in relief that they're both okay. Ichigo starts in surprise when he hears his father's loud car engine start up.

"Dad's leaving?" Ichigo says in surprise. "Maybe tonight's the night to sneak you in." Ichigo says softly. "You shouldn't be out here, if we're in the house, people would have to go through my Dad to get to us." Ichigo says sensibly. Rukia pales.

"Not tonight!" Rukia protests. "Your Mom might be up now that your Dad left." Rukia says.

"Yeah, that could be true too. Plus my dad probably locked up, and if he did, I'd have to go around front to get the hidden key, and the door would wake my Mom even if she's sleeping. She'd come out quick if she's awake now. We'll find another time." Ichigo says in a comforting voice. Rukia is glad he isn't going to make her go through another scary heart racing situation tonight. She's already really upset from the man walking around her special hideout with Ichigo.

"Thanks, Ichigo." Rukia says.

"My mom might insist I come in tomorrow night though." Ichigo warns her. Rukia nods. Ichigo decides to go inside early in the morning, when his parents are usually dead to the world, and see if he can get inside without waking them. If he can, he'll go and get Rukia, carry her on his back if he has to, and get her into his house. Early in the morning is probably best. He may leave her in his room and go back to the tree house, but he doubts she will let him do that.

J J J J

When Isshin pulls up to the officer's car, he notices another man standing nearby. The man immediately starts waving when he realizes what officer is in the car.

"Officer Fukagawa!" The other man calls out as the officer steps out of Isshin's car. "We caught him! The man you heard at the bar! We caught him parking near here, and entering the woods! He's at the station now, being interrogated!" The man calls out excitedly.

"Really? Who caught him?" The officer asks excitedly.

"Some rookie whose name I don't know, happened to be driving up here to help with the stake out when he spotted the guy. He was all ambitious and chased down the guy alone. We might finally get some answers on where that Ichimaru Gin has disappeared to!" His co-worker responds.

"Great news! Idiots always return to the crime scene, don't they?" He says to his friend with a smile. He looks back at Isshin. "Thanks for the ride!" Isshin nods and heads home. It seems the mystery to Hisana's mother's murder might break soon. Isshin lets out a nervous laugh. _The question is whether or not they can recover the child alive. _

J J J J

Kotobuki is sweating. He knows he's in trouble now that he's locked up. He didn't even think anybody was onto him. He wasn't exactly the kind of guy who stood out, but the police seem sure that he's involved in the missing child's case somehow. It was the first thing the officer who chased him down said.

_flashback_

"_The fact that you run from me must mean you know something about the missing girl, right?" The officer had held him to the ground with a knee jammed hard in his back. The officer pulled out his stick and clubbed his legs. "That's for making me run! I'm taking you back to the station, where you'll be interrogated for what you know about the missing child!" The officer had stood and dragged him to his feet with one hand. Kotobuki weakly protested._

"_I don't know anything about any missing child! I was just going to go and hike in the night time forest! You scared me, that's all!" Kotobuki's protests are ignored._

"_An officer heard you on the telephone today, in a real public place. Think about that before you tell a stupid lie like that in interrogation!"_

_end flashback_

"I'm screwed." He says silently, remembering he'd said something about the police believing the girl was in "your clutches" to Gin on the phone. The police knew he was tied to Gin, this made things bad. Kotobuki takes a deep breath as he slides a hidden razor out of his hair which wasn't found due to the metal in his mouth. He slits his wrists. Then he slashes his own throat. He dies before medical help can revive him. Another dead end.


	6. Chapter 5: A Proposal

Chapter 5

_A Proposal_

A month has passed since the prisoner killed himself just minutes before interrogation. Why the normal procedures of taking him straight to interrogation weren't followed, aren't known to the public, the search and recover mission for the girl's dead body was issued the very next morning at dawn.

It had been just before dawn though that Ichigo had woken Rukia and made her climb down the rope. She had done it, not really understanding his motive. He had her get on his back and he trudged to the house, silently sliding open the back door. She had dozed off on the walk and was barely even conscious of the situation. He quickly kicked off his shoes as he listened for the sound of his parents waking. They had both been in a deep sleep though, and he had been able to get upstairs to his room and settle Rukia into his bed, fairly simply and quietly. He had laid down and cuddled up next to her to sleep awhile longer. Rukia and Ichigo slept through the beginnings of the search. Ichigo woke up a couple hours later to go get Rukia's Chappy. He knew if she woke up without that rabbit, she'd probably cry.

Rukia was still sleeping soundly in his bed and didn't awaken. He had brought back her coat and Chappy, and the dirty indoor slippers that she'd had on when he'd first found her crying by his tree. He had tied the dirty slippers up in a bag and tossed them out. Then she hid in his closet whenever one of his parents would come upstairs. She slowly became aware of the habits of his family's day during that time too.

Rukia always slept in bed with Ichigo, until the very early hours of the morning when Ichigo would move her to the closet on top of some sheets he'd piled up for her comfort. His father had a tendency to wake him up obnoxiously. Ichigo continued to secretly stash her in his room, and his parents remained unaware that they had a small three year old girl living in their house. Rukia did not cause trouble, she wasn't noisy, and she remained afraid a lot of the time. She was always worried about the day his parents would find her. Ichigo always warned her that it was bound to happen. He couldn't hide her there unknown to the family forever, but he'd promised to do his best to hold it off as long as possible. Rukia was happy about that.

His karate lessons had started the same day she started staying in his house. While he was gone, she usually colored in the coloring books he had given her. He had even started teaching her what he had learned in karate. There had been a few close calls where with his kicking and jumping around, his mother had walked in the room, but Rukia had gotten scared when he was making the noise and had already retreated into the closet by the time his Mom had opened the door. She only barely got out of view as his mother had entered the room. After the first time his demonstrations brought a visit from his mom, Rukia would only watch his new moves from inside of the closet. She feared being discovered by his parents on a frightening level.

JJJJ

Gin heard about Kotobuki's death. He was unhappy about that. He was a really loyal guy that Gin could count on. It had been reported that the police had good reason to believe Kotobuki was somehow involved with Gin, who left a note at the Kanzaki residence saying he kidnapped Kanzaki Rukia. The reporters go on to explain that even though Ichimaru is Kanzaki Rukia's uncle on her father's side, they are not full brothers, explaining the different family name. A picture of him had been shown on the news and a pissed off Gin had been forced to have his other buddy buy him hair dye, scissors, and glasses, so that he wouldn't be easily recognized. The heat was on.

It bothered him the most that the reporters kept saying the girl hadn't been found, even though several extensive searches of the area had been performed. Gin couldn't understand it. How can a three year old vanish into thin air? How could such a small child have disappeared so thoroughly? He badly wants to go back to the house, and search the forest again for himself. He feels like everyone has missed some important clue. If he could just have one night, he could figure out what it was. If the girl had remained in the forest, she couldn't possibly still be alive after a month and a week after her disappearance. Either someone else found and kidnapped her, or her body's somewhere in those woods. It would be kind of hard to hide that your family just gained a new member.

He wonders if he'll ever know what on earth happened to Rukia. He knows however, that the police have him nailed as the one who killed Kiyoko, so he doesn't dare go back. He tries to rack his brain for some solution to the mystery of the vanishing child but he comes up with no answers.

_I should have left the country when I threatened to. Now it's going to be a lot harder. I guess I have to give up on Rukia-chan for now. I'll have to wait for another opportunity._

JJJJ

Hisana's depression was bad, but there was one bright spot in her life. Kuchiki Byakuya. He was like an angel who swooped down to help save her in her darkest hour. He always asked her to join him for dinner, and he always came to comfort her when she had nightmares. Her health was not so great as a result of the huge emotional stress that she's been enduring. Byakuya was ever present, and Isshin stopped by every day. He had shared with Hisana and Byakuya that he and his wife were trying to get pregnant. Hisana's cheeks had grown pink. How she would dearly love to have a baby of her own. Hisana really liked the friendly doctor, and even though she could tell the doctor shocked Byakuya with his familiar behavior, he liked the doctor too.

Isshin had pulled Byakuya aside. Hisana's health was dangerously perilous. Her emotional state had everything to do with her worsening condition. Byakuya's lips had pressed into a thin line. He knew better than anybody how bad Hisana's emotional state was. He was there every night when she screamed and cried in her sleep. He'd stopped going to bed in his own room weeks ago, and instead he'd go and lay next to Hisana once she was asleep. The way she called for her sister had shocked him. It was pain wrenching to hear her voice sound so terrified, desperate, and needy.

Byakuya remembers. The police had been so sure that the prisoner who killed himself was in league with Gin. Now they weren't sure anymore. No trace of the child had been found in the woods, now they were wondering if the man had been a decoy, or one of those maniacs who is innocent but acts like he's guilty. The phone number from the public phone the prisoner had dialed had been investigated.

The police hadn't admitted this to anybody other than Byakuya, because they highly doubted that Gin was at one of the most prestigious institutes in Japan, where many highly intelligent people with pristine pasts congregated. Phone records don't lie. Apparently the prisoner they had caught had been a mentally unstable relative of Aizen Sousuke, a professor of Tokyo Institute of Technology. It was an embarrassment to the police who of course had swept the whole incident under the rug.

Byakuya is angry for Hisana's sake. Nobody has any clue where her uncle or her sister are, and whether or not they're together. The barrette and letter were very damning evidence, and countless searches of the forest had yielded nothing in terms of any clue for the tiny toddler. Her mother's dead body had been taken as well, so Hisana couldn't even have any closure from that, on top of which her sadistic uncle had threatened in his damned letter that he might see Hisana again one day when she has children. The woman had been through enough!

Byakuya twists around the diamond engagement band in his hand. He wonders if she will be happy if he vows to keep on protecting her. He has realized now that he's had her with him for over a month, that he doesn't ever want her to leave. He felt his heart knot at the injustices she'd been forced to deal with and wondered if she would award him with a smile when he shows her this ring. He wanted her to feel safe. He also wanted to make sure nobody ever attempted to hurt her again. They'd have to go through him to hurt her. Byakuya stands. His mind is made up. He walks to the room where Hisana is resting and he knocks softly on the door.

"Please, come in!" Hisana calls out softly. She feels her heart beat a tiny bit faster when Byakuya's face appears at the door. She feels a tiny gasp catch in her throat when he asks her out for the evening.

"I would like to take you out to dinner to Aragawa. My father had reservations there, but I convinced him to let us take them over instead." Byakuya announces. Hisana knows, to eat at that place is amazingly expensive. She isn't sure it's okay to accept such an extravagant request. "Please join me, I'd like very much for you to join me in this exquisite meal. I won't take no for an answer." Hisana smiles, a small smile.

"What will I wear?" She asks him.

"You look beautiful in anything." Byakuya tells her. Hisana blushes. She nods her head.

"I would love to join you for dinner, Kuchiki-sama." Hisana replies.

"Please, call me Byakuya." Byakuya's words make Hisana's mouth drop open in shock. "I'm here for you, remember that." Byakuya says before leaving the room to give her a chance to change. Hisana clutches her hand to her heart in an attempt to understand what just happened. There was no doubt about it, she had just been asked on a date by the most eligible bachelor in Japan.

She feels a twinge of guilt for being so love struck when her sister is enduring god knows what torture at the hands of her uncle, or even worse is dead. She pushes the bad thoughts away. Her mother would definitely be happy for her, and she thinks Rukia would be too. Well, maybe Rukia wouldn't really understand, she was only three after all.

_Less than three months until her fourth birthday. I can't believe she has been gone for over a month, and in a country where criminals are known to have to face the music, the man responsible for my pain is still running free._

JJJJ

"So how is Ichigo doing in karate?" Isshin asks his son as he arrives home from class in Karate.

"I keep learning new things!" Ichigo says excitedly. He doesn't tell his dad that a girl the same age as him had made him cry in class again today. His mom keeps his secret too. Ichigo tears off in the direction of his room, and Masaki joins Isshin on the couch.

"He got beat by that girl again, didn't he?" Isshin says with a shake of his head. "Pathetic."

"She started the class a full year ahead of him, so it's not surprising she can still win. He's able to last longer and longer with her each class they're in though. The instructor says he's picking it all up at an incredible rate. The instructor even said he's never seen more focus from a kid as young as him too. Ichigo is really putting forth a lot of effort in his karate class." She says, grinning. "He doesn't give up, just like his father!"

"Huh! That wimp is nothing like me." Isshin says in a low growl. Masaki giggles as she leans into her husband.

"You are two peas in a pod." Masaki argues, poking him in the side. Isshin grabs her around the waist and pulls her in his lap. Neither one of them notice that Ichigo is peeking around the corner watching them with interest.

"Stop talking nonsense. Your lips are better used for kissing than talking." Isshin says, leaning over and kissing her. Masaki pinches his arm. Hard. Isshin pulls back and gasps in his breath, hard.

"What kind of chauvinistic talk is that?" Masaki asks, batting at her husband's nose. Isshin bows his head in defeat.

"Sorry, I just wanted to kiss you." He admits. Masaki smiles. She pulls her husband's head down and kisses him full on the mouth and Isshin starts pushing his hand up her shirt. She stops kissing him long enough to argue once more.

"Then do it in a nicer way." She giggles as he kisses her neck, and they both freeze when they hear Ichigo laugh. They turn their heads to see their son looking at them like they've lost their minds.

"So that's marriage, huh? Looks like it will be fun." Ichigo says, before racing into the bathroom and turning on the shower. Isshin and Masaki look at each other and burst out laughing.

"Our son wants to get married! We will definitely be grandparents, Masaki!" Isshin cries out loudly. Masaki smacks the back of his head and rolls her eyes.

"Sometimes, you are such a dork." She tells him. She jumps out of his reach as he tries to grab her around the waist, and then a sparkle lights up in his eyes. Masaki squeals as she dashes around the couch, only to have Isshin jump over it and start creeping towards her quietly. She takes off for their bedroom and he follows her in slamming the door. Ichigo hears it all from the bathroom and hurries through his shower. Now is the perfect chance to sneak Rukia up some food.

He's getting ready to turn off the water, when he feels a cool breeze and looks around the curtain. Rukia is standing there, looking at the tub wistfully. Since she's stayed with Ichigo, she's only been able to use wet towels to clean herself with soap and water. Ichigo sighs. He can tell she wants a bath. He reaches out and grabs his towel and steps out of the tub. Rukia looks at him, and he motions for her to hurry up. She shakes her head and whispers that she takes baths. Ichigo sighs and he pulls the lever to make the water come out the faucet rather than the showerhead. He dries himself good with his towel and Rukia quickly strips with the abandon of a three year old. Ichigo sits on the toilet and waits for her to finish. He hurries her along too. When she gets out, he wraps her an a second towel and grabs their clothes.

"Get ready to run." Ichigo whispers. Rukia nods. Ichigo holds up a finger for her to wait as he cracks open the door and peeks.

He can hear his parents in their bedroom and so he swings it all the way open and they run to the stairs. They quietly go up the stairs and into his room. Ichigo throws her a pair of his pajamas to wear. He looks at Rukia and shakes his head.

"I knew they wouldn't find me." Rukia says, pulling his pajamas on her tiny frame.

"How?" Ichigo asks. He is pulling on a pair of pajamas too.

"Whenever your parents run around and the they slam that door, they stay in there for a long time and don't come out." Rukia has had the past month to listen to the typical activity of the house. She had wanted a bath so badly, she had been willing to test her knowledge.

"Taking those kind of risks will get you caught." He says flatly.

"I know. I won't do it again." Rukia whispers. Ichigo sighs and grabs the towels. He figures he'll just tell his mom he splashed water on the floor. He wants to hug her and tell her he's not mad, but he figures he has limited time to still sneak food and drink up to his room without getting caught.

"I'll be right back." Ichigo whispers as he runs the towels downstairs. Rukia picks up her own dirty clothes and hides them. She sits on his bed waiting for him to return. It doesn't take long. She's grateful to see he has food and milk for her.

"Itadakimasu!" Rukia says happily. Ichigo grins. He watches as she eats very quickly. He takes her dishes and dashes back downstairs. He throws out the trash, and puts her cup in the sink. He grabs some candy off the kitchen table and heads to his room. His parents are still in their room. Ichigo is glad for that. When he gets upstairs, he sees Rukia sitting on his bed, waiting with her hands in her lap. She's nothing like the annoying girls at the dojo. Ichigo sits next to her.

"Do you feel better?" Ichigo asks, throwing his arm around her. Rukia blushes.

"Yes." She tells him. She offers him a small smile and he smiles back.

"I thought my parents would have found you by now." He admits.

"They almost did." Rukia says with a shudder. She remembers how her heart had pounded so quickly whenever his parents came into his room.

"You hid quick though." Ichigo says, remembering how nervous he always was whenever there had been a close call.

"Your parents remind me of my parents," Rukia says a little sadly. She misses her Mom. "My parents used to be really happy too." Rukia says, remembering the love she'd always felt between her parents whenever they were in the room with each other. It was so obvious even a small child like herself recognized it.

"We'll be happy like that too, Rukia, I promise." Ichigo says, kissing her cheek.

"I know." Rukia replies, putting her head on his shoulder. She couldn't wait until the day she married Ichigo. Hearing his parents tonight confirmed it.

They hear his father pounding up the stairs and Rukia dashes for the closet. When his father comes in, he looks happy.

"Son, your mother and I are going to be going to bed in a little while. There's some fruit in the kitchen if you get hungry. Don't stay up too much later." Isshin ruffles Ichigo's hair and dashes for the downstairs.

Rukia crawls back out of the closet and yawns. She climbs into Ichigo's bed and lays down. She spent all afternoon coloring and she didn't take a nap. After bathing and eating, she's pretty tired. She gives Ichigo a big hug and lays down. Ichigo cuddles up to her and they fall asleep.

JJJJ

Hisana stares at the beautiful ring in Byakuya's hands, and her eyes mist over in happiness as he has fallen to one knee. Her hands shake as she holds her breath in anticipation of his words.

"Hisana. Since I met you, I started falling in love with you. I can't stand the idea of a day without you at my side. Will you do me the honor of giving me the privilege to be your husband?" Byakuya asks in a low husky voice. Tears of happiness stream down Hisana's face as she realizes she's no longer all alone.

"Yes." Hisana whispers. Byakuya smiles as he confidently slips the beautiful ring on her finger. He stands and pulls her into his arms.

"Thank you, for making me the happiest man in the world." Byakuya whispers in her ear. Hisana blushes as he presses a long kiss up against her cheek.

"Byakuya-sama!" Hisana says in a breathless voice. Byakuya pulls her chair back out for her so that she can sit. He sits across from her and is pleased with the true expression of happiness on her face. It's the first time the happiness has ever truly reached her eyes since he's met her. He had felt it, when she would wake up and cling to him from her nightmares, that she had developed the same need to be near him as he had developed for her. He also notices her cheeks don't seem as pale as they have in the past weeks as well. Her happiness is spreading throughout her whole being, and she's even more beautiful than he had thought her to be, which he thought was impossible.

"When would you like to get married?" Byakuya asks with a smile.

"I'd like to get married when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. I want our wedding photos to be taken among them. It's my favorite time of year." Hisana says with a smile. I've always wanted to take my wedding pictures in Inokashira Park. Do you think we can plan a wedding in that short amount of time? It's under six months away." Hisana says. Byakuya loves her idea.

"I'll make sure it will be able to happen. Your happiness is my number one priority and concern." Byakuya says, causing Hisana to blush. He knows they're lucky they don't have many close neighbors who know she already lives with him.

"I can't tell you how much everything you've done for me means to me, what you mean to me. I'm happy to spend the rest of my life loving you, Byakuya-sama." Hisana says with a dip of her head.

"Hisana." Byakuya whispers, his eyes softening. She looks up at him and gasps when she sees all the love in the world, shining in his eyes. Her eyes widen. She's never seen such intensity from any man before, not that she's seen that many men in her life. She's frozen still, staring into his eyes, with her heart pounding loudly in her ears. She lets the wave of happiness wash over her whole body and soul and eases into it. _Oh yes, the happiness this man makes me feel…I'm so lucky to have him!_

Byakuya watches as a tear falls from her big blue eyes as she stares at him with wonder in her eyes. He had no idea she would have the ability to make him feel so strongly. All of his life he'd been either bored with things or mildly interested in them. Women fell into the second category since he wasn't attracted to men, but he found most women tended to grate on his nerves in an unsettling manner.

He'd been worried he'd never have the kind of love his parents had shared. And then she had come crashing into his life with nothing but a fierce need to be saved. He had helplessly fallen in love with the tiny yet strong woman who stirred new feelings in him that he hadn't known he'd been capable of. Her stare drops to her hand where her engagement ring is sparkling. He's happy she let him slip it on her finger. He'll never let her go. Never.

JJJJ

The police officer is sitting at his desk as he stares at the picture of the man who looks suspiciously like Ichimaru Gin in the airport, about to get onto a plane that was headed to Europe. The picture was dated with the previous day's date. He hears the curse words falling from his lips even as he notices the little girl is not with him.

"I hate to say it, but the chances of finding that little girl alive are slim to none." The chief says to the lead investigator on the case.

"I know. Kuchiki will not be happy when he learns of this. He even had his parents donate money towards the case to get the blood tested forensically at several of the world's leading laboratories. He's gained interest in the case rather than losing it. He keeps threatening to report us to the Prime Minister for our incompetence too." The investigator sighs. "He's a damned pain in the ass."

"Except that he's right. We let that little girl slip through our fingers and we didn't do a thorough enough search of the woods upon immediately learning the story. I don't know why we blindly believed that note, but now, It's hard to accept any other possibility for what could've happened to the girl." The chief sighs again.

"Go ahead and show these to Kuchiki tomorrow. He'll be furious if we wait more than a day to keep him updated." The investigator says. The chief shakes his head.

"You do it. I'm busy tomorrow." The chief waves his hand to dismiss the man from his office.

"Of course, Sir." he says as he heads out of the office.

JJJJ

Ichigo awakens when Rukia starts whimpering and he sits up straight when she lets out a loud high pitched scream. She has never done that before, even in the tree house. Ichigo quickly yanks her up off his bed and runs her into the closet. He can hear his dad dashing up the stairs. Rukia awakens as Ichigo is dropping her into the closet and she hears him dash for the bed and stand next to it. The closet is only open a crack, and she blinks her eyes when his light is flipped on. _What happened?_

"Ichigo! Are you okay?" Masaki runs over to her son, who's just standing there wide eyed. He nods his head yes. Isshin walks in behind his wife. He looks at his son.

"Did you have a bad dream, son?" Isshin asks. Ichigo scowls and crosses his arms.

"I guess so, I don't really remember what it was about. I think I woke up to myself screaming though which really scared me." Ichigo says, sitting back on his bed.

"Do you want me to go get you a nice glass of warm milk?" Masaki asks him. Ichigo nods his head yes, and his mother quickly leaves the room.

"You were pretty loud, you know. You don't remember your dream?" Isshin asks again. Ichigo shakes his head no.

"Sorry I woke both of you up." Ichigo says putting his head down, hoping Rukia's okay in the closet.

"It's okay, it was worth it to hear you scream like a girl." Isshin says, making Ichigo's face turn red.

"I did not sound like a girl! Leave me alone!" Ichigo yells. His dad laughs and retreats. Ichigo waits for him mom to bring up the milk.

"Do you want me to stay here with you until you fall back asleep?" Masaki asks, gently running her hand over his hair. Ichigo takes a long drink of the milk. It's nice.

"No, I'm not scared. I don't even remember my dream. It's okay. You can go back to bed too." Ichigo replies with a small smile. Masaki kisses his forehead twice. She smiles at him before taking his milk from him and setting it on the night stand.

"Alright, good night, Ichigo." She says before turning on his night lamp and turning off the light.

"Good night, Mom." Ichigo says as he picks up the glass and takes a sip of milk. He hears her steps fade away, and he hears when his parents go back to bed. He sets the glass back down. Ichigo walks over to the closet and opens it.

Rukia's got her thumb in her mouth and she's fallen back asleep. Ichigo shakes her half awake and helps her back into bed. She turns over towards him and buries her face into his neck. He wants to pull away because her breath is making his neck tingle in a ticklish way but she holds on too tight.

"Thank you for protecting me, Ichigo." Rukia mumbles before dreaming again. Ichigo holds her tight, as he worries about her dreams. He knows it's only a matter of time before they're caught like this. He kisses her head before allowing himself to close his eyes again.

"I told you I would. Good night, Rukia." He puts his arms around her and falls asleep.

JJJJ

"Thank you for everything tonight, Byakuya-sama, everything was perfect!" Hisana breathes as Byakuya escorts her to the front door. She feels like her step is much lighter than before. Now that she's not alone, she feels so much better. _He wants me here!_

"It couldn't have been perfect without you." He says back huskily. Hisana's face is bright red at that. "Hisana?" Byakuya asks, quietly. Hisana looks up at him.

"What is it?" She asks lightly.

"Please follow me, there's a few things I would like to give you." Byakuya leads her into his study where he hands her the latest bridal catalogues. Hisana smiles as she accepts them. She realizes he was pretty confident she'd say yes, and so she bites her lip to keep from laughing.

"Thank you very much, Byakuya-sama." Hisana says before thinking for a moment. _Am I that transparent?_

"If you see anything you like, be sure to mark the page and show it to me. If you'd like we can even go and look at some bridal shops." Hisana nods her head yes. She shyly stands on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek good night, clutching the magazines with happiness.

It's a wondrous feeling to know you're not walking in complete darkness all by yourself. Just having someone there brings light no matter how dark everything else gets.


	7. Chapter 6: Found

**_A/N: I had so much fun writing this chapter, I hope every person who reads it has as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Enjoy!!_**

Chapter 6

_Found_

It has been two months and two weeks since Hisana has laid eyes on Rukia. She's been so busy with the planning of her wedding though that she has far less time to think and worry about her little sister. Isshin sees the change in her almost immediately.

"Hisana-san, you're doing much better, you don't seem as tired, you don't seem as pale. I say being engaged has done wonders for your health!" Isshin had said with a huge smile causing Byakuya to unwillingly smile, and a blush to appear on Hisana's cheeks.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-sensei. I feel much better." Hisana replies softly. It's no secret that Isshin is incredibly happy since Masaki is definitely pregnant. Hisana and Byakuya had smiled when Isshin had announced that news a couple of days ago.

"I don't think it's necessary to have me come on a regular basis anymore, but you don't hesitate to call if you aren't feeling well." Isshin tells her with a genuinely happy smile that she's actually doing well. The doctor leaves with a jovial smile on his face and Byakuya takes Hisana's hand and helps her out of her bed.

"How would you like to go shopping?" He asks her. She knows he hates shopping and the only reason he's offering is to make her happy. She smiles up at him.

"We can go another day. Today, I'd just like to spend the day with you." She tells him softly.

"Your wish is my command." Byakuya says as he pulls her in for a hug. "What would you like to do?" He asks her.

"Would it be possible for me to go back to my home to get some more clothing?" Hisana asks him.

"I don't see why not, I'll call the police station and let them know we plan to stop by to pick up more of your personal things. We may need to have a police escort, but you should be able to get your things with no problems." Byakuya replies. Hisana smiles.

"I would also like to get my mother's old wedding dress. I always thought it was so beautiful in her pictures." Hisana adds. Byakuya nods understandingly and smiles at the woman he's in love with.

"Of course. Is ten minutes okay?" He asks her. Hisana nods with a smile.

JJJJ

"Twins?" Isshin lifts his wife high into the air as Ichigo watches fascinated.

"Yes! We're having twins!" Masaki yells back, giggling as he twirls her around.

"You're amazing!" Isshin shouts loudly. "A miracle maker!" Isshin yells, as Ichigo covers his ears and tries not to laugh at their behavior.

"I had help, you know!" Masaki giggles as Isshin sets her down and pulls her close for a long sizzling kiss, right in front of their son. Ichigo covers his mouth in laughter at his parents silly behavior. He has no idea what twins are, but his parents are acting like it's something really great.

"What are twins?" Ichigo asks, interrupting their passionate moment. Isshin and Masaki pull apart and look at him.

"Ichigo, you remember we told you that you're going to be a big brother, right?" His mom asks. Ichigo nods his head yes.

"Well instead of being a big brother to one baby…" Isshin starts, and Masaki continues.

"You get to be a big brother to two babies!" Masaki and Isshin laugh happily and kiss.

"Two babies?" Ichigo echoes. His parents jumping around like lunatics is his only answer.

"Ichigo, we're going out to eat to celebrate. You're coming with us. Go get changed. Dress clothes!" His dad says. Ichigo gulps. What about Rukia? His parents ignore him and head into the bedroom. Ichigo runs to the kitchen and pulls out some fruit, and a juice box and runs it upstairs.

"Rukia!" Ichigo calls out as he enters the room. Her head pokes out of the closet. "I brought you some food. My parents are forcing me to go out to dinner tonight." He tells her. "Will you be okay?" He asks her. Rukia nods. Ichigo turns on his lamp so that she'll have light when he leaves. Ichigo grabs his dress clothes from the closet and starts to change. Rukia pulls the food and drink in with her, and closes the door so that it's only open a crack. A minute later, as Ichigo's in the middle of changing, his mom comes in the room. Rukia stays quiet.

"Ichigo, never mind, we are not going out. I thought I wanted to but then I started feeling ill. Your father is going to go pick up some carry out. You can change into your pajamas for the night." She says, kissing his forehead. Ichigo breathes a sigh of relief. He really hadn't liked the idea of leaving Rukia in the house all by herself. His mother leaves the room and Ichigo starts pulling off his dress clothes. Rukia opens the closet and watches him change. He sees her looking and he throws a second pair of pajamas at her.

"You can wear these." He tells her. Rukia grins and changes into his pajamas. She picks up another piece of fruit as well.

"Ichigo?" Rukia asks, with her mouth full.

"What?" He asks her.

"What do you think will happen when your Mom and Dad find me?" Rukia asks nervously. After living in his home for so long, she no longer feared his parents, in fact she really liked them. "Do you think they'll be mad?" She asks in a whisper.

"I don't know. I hope not." Ichigo says, running his hands through his hair. "we'll find out when it happens." Ichigo says in a small voice.

"I wish I could stay with you forever." Rukia says, putting down her fruit and starting to cry.

"Me too. When they do find you, I'll do everything I can to help you." Ichigo walks over to the closet and squats down in front of her. Her blue eyes are filled with unshed tears and he hates to see her so sad. He remembers how kisses seemed to make his mother so happy, and Ichigo leans forward and plants a big sloppy wet one on her lips. Rukia's eyes widen in surprise. Ichigo pulls away looking mighty pleased with himself.

"Ichigo?" Rukia asks, staring up at him surprised.

"I kissed you so that you would smile," Ichigo explains. Rukia stares at him for a second and then smiles. He leans over and hugs her.

"Don't be sad. We'll get married one day for sure!" Ichigo says, giving her his most sincere smile. "And I'll take care of you too, I promise. I keep my promises." Ichigo adds. Rukia nods. The fact that she's remained undiscovered for such a long time is proof of that.

"Once we're married, we can always be together." Rukia says, cheering up. Ichigo smiles, glad she's not sad anymore. Ichigo's mom is calling for Ichigo to join them and Ichigo looks at Rukia quickly.

"I'll be back soon, okay?" Ichigo asks. Rukia nods as she heads for the coloring books. Ichigo had gotten two new ones that he'd handed to her with a silly grin the other day. She had happily accepted. She wants to color in one of those. She lays in the closet, but with the closet door wide open. She starts coloring. She only gets to color three pages before Ichigo gets back.

"Mom is sick and she's laying down. Dad went to lay with her. Are you still hungry?" Ichigo says, looking down at her. Rukia shakes her head no. She puts her coloring book away and stands up to face him.

"What do you want to do?" Rukia asks him. Ichigo shrugs. Rukia grabs his hand. "Ichigo, what is your favorite color?" Rukia asks.

"Blue, like your eyes." Ichigo replies instantly. Rukia smiles happily.

"Who's your best friend?" Rukia asks. Ichigo grins at her.

"You." He whispers. Rukia's huge smile is her only response to that. "My Mom too." Ichigo says after a second. Rukia nods. She felt the same way about her Mom, before she died.

"What's your favorite food?" Rukia asks next.

"Chocolate." Ichigo says, still smiling. Rukia nods. She can understand his love for chocolate.

"Are you sorry you met me?" Rukia asks quietly. Ichigo's eyes widen.

"No! I'm really glad that I met you, that I was able to save you from the bad men, truly. I am happy we met." Ichigo says, kissing her cheek.

"Good." Rukia says.

"Are you tired?" Ichigo asks, wondering if she slept or stayed up while he was at karate.

"A little." Rukia says, nodding her head yes. Ichigo shuts off the light and they climb into bed. Ichigo lays next to her with his arm wrapped around her. He wonders if she is okay, since she seemed kind of sad tonight.

"Good night, Rukia." He says softly.

"Good night, Ichigo." He hears her say. A moment later he hears her mumble.

"Thank you, Ichigo," she mutters before falling completely asleep. He grins. He told her to stop thanking him. He tightens his hold on her before drifting off into sleep himself.

JJJJ

"Did Ichigo go to bed?" Masaki asks Isshin, who's looking at her with concern.

"I think so. Ever since he's started taking that karate class, he's been going to bed a little earlier." Isshin replies, sighing in relief that his wife's bout of nausea seems to have passed.

"I wanted to say good night, but I don't want to wake him." Masaki says, thinking of how well behaved her son had been lately.

"We did just kind of walk away from him at dinner time. He might still be up, lets go up together." Isshin replies giving his wife a loving smile. She nods and they walk together up to Ichigo's room. When Isshin swings open the door, the darkness of the room greets them. Neither of them notice that there are two sleepy children breathing. They stand in the doorway.

"He must have been tired," Masaki whispers quietly to her husband.

"Yeah, he's out like a light," Isshin replies with a quiet chuckle. Masaki walks deeper into the room, with her hand on her abdomen. She stops and looks back at Isshin.

"Ichigo was such a blessing, and now we're having twins!" Masaki breathes, turning back towards Ichigo and walking the rest of the way. She allows her fingers to lightly caress his bright orange hair which is visible from the hallway light. She looks back at Isshin, who is smiling gently at the sight in front of him. She smiles back at him, enjoying the togetherness of the family. She looks back down towards Ichigo, since her eyes have better adjusted to the dark, and her hand stills in surprise when she sees his arm around a small lump, and at the top of the lump is a head of black hair. She lets out a small gasp.

"Oh my god!" Masaki breathes, careful not to wake the children. Her hand comes to her chest as she looks at Isshin, with her eyes wide. The look in her eyes causes him to rush over to her side. He doesn't see what she sees, at first. He gives her a confused look before turning his gaze back to where she's looking. Then he sees it. The black hair. He takes a swift breath inwards too. He grabs her wrist and drags her out of the room.

"What is going on?" Isshin asks in a bewildered voice. "Did you know about this?" He asks, with a feeling of dread in his stomach. He hasn't seen the face or the gender of the child yet, but he has a _feeling._

"Of course not!" Masaki says, insulted. "I would hardly keep a second child from you!" Masaki snaps, looking back at her husband, eyes wide.

"We have to wake them up. We need to know who that child is." Isshin says in a tone of voice that makes Masaki look at him sharply.

"You don't think?" She asks, a questioning look in her unblinking gaze.

"I think that child is Kanzaki Rukia." Isshin says in a strangled voice. "And if it is, I don't know how in the hell we're going to explain it." Isshin says, feeling dread in his stomach.

"We can't possibly begin to do such a thing unless we talk to the children!" Masaki says urgently, suddenly remembering Ichigo wanting to stay in the tree house, the men he had heard, the picnic basket he'd asked her to make. "Oh my god!" Masaki breathes, giving Isshin a good long look.

"How do we do this without scaring the hell out of her?" Isshin asks. Masaki thinks about that for a minute.

"You're right. I can already guess that the girl is probably so terrified she doesn't want to see any adults. It's the only explanation I can think of for why our son would hide her from us." Masaki thinks for a minute.

"Do you think we can wake up just Ichigo?" Isshin asks her.

"I have no idea. I don't know how deep a sleeper that child is. Ichigo's got his arm wrapped around that child though so I don't think we'd be very successful at-" Masaki stops when she hears a sound coming from the open door. It's the child with Ichigo. She has started to whimper. Isshin looks at Masaki and they remember the girlish scream in the middle of the night several weeks back. Isshin and Masaki stay out of sight as they listen to their son comfort the other child into quietness. Isshin looks at Masaki with a look of apology in his eyes.

"We have to try to wake him." Isshin says firmly. Masaki feels tears forming in her eyes. She can only nod at her husband. They both creep into the room, and Masaki tries to lift Ichigo's arm off of the other sleeping child, whom they suspect to be Rukia. She is successful at pulling it off, but the moment she tries to lift the blanket to pull him out, his arm wraps back protectively over the other child again. Masaki purses her lips. She looks up at Isshin who is observing uselessly.

"When I lift his arm off, you keep it off." Masaki whispers as quietly as she can. Isshin nods. Masaki once again tries to pull her son's arm off of the other child, but he grips harder, and then his eyes open as he meets his mother's anxious eyes. Ichigo's eyes get as big as dinner plates. Masaki puts a finger up to her lips, motioning for him not to wake her. Ichigo nods and slips out of his bed, with his head hanging in shame. He follows his parents who quietly close his door and they all walk down to the kitchen table. Isshin motions for his son to sit. His parents sit down at the table facing him. Ichigo takes a deep breath and then a gulp.

"Explain yourself." His father's voice is hard. Demanding. "Exactly who is that child?" His father asks, feeling his heart thud with dread. Ichigo looks at the table.

"Kanzaki Rukia." His voice is barely audible, but both of them hear it and stiffen in uncertainty. "Remember the night I told you I heard men in the forest?" Ichigo asks his parents suddenly. His father nods, and his mother smiles.

"Yes, Ichigo we do remember that." Masaki says encouragingly.

"Well, before I heard them, I heard her. She was sitting up against the tree that my tree house was in, crying her eyes out. Bawling." Ichigo explains, looking at both of his parents, who nod. "I was surprised. I climbed down my rope and asked her why she was crying." Ichigo says, looking a little nervous. "She told me bad men were chasing her." Ichigo says, and his parents look at each other with surprise.

"She said that to you? Those exact words? Bad men?" Masaki asks.

"Yeah. She asked me my name, and right after I told her, the forest got quiet. She started crying again saying that we had to hide from the bad men, that they were chasing her. I led her up into the tree house and pulled up the rope. We sat there being quiet as the bad men came right by the tree and searched all around the area for a really long time. She told me that her sister promised to come find her. She begged me not to tell anyone that I had found her. She was always so scared." Ichigo says quietly, feeling ashamed that he had hidden such a large secret from his parents.

"You saved her life, you know." Isshin says, letting the realization dawn on him, he smiles at that. "I'm on pretty good terms with Rukia's sister, so I am sure everything can turn out okay." Isshin says, smiling at his son. Masaki looks at her son who has started twiddling his fingers.

"Was there more, Ichigo?" Masaki asks him.

"We promised each other." Ichigo says very quietly. His parents both look at him intently. "That we'd get married." Ichigo finishes weakly. His parents look at each other with shock. Isshin is unable to stop the laugh from escaping. Ichigo glares up at his dad defiantly, who has started crying from the laughter.

"You're a little young for that, don't you think?" Isshin says, wiping a tear from his cheek.

"We promised. I told her…I would always protect her." Ichigo says louder and more confidently. "I won't go back on my word." Isshin is holding up a hand, in a gesture of begging his son to stop. He can't stop laughing or crying from the feeling welling up in his chest at his son's outrageous words.

"Masaki, where's the video camera when we need it, please! I have to tape my son saying this or I'll never forgive myself!" Isshin is getting very noisy now and Ichigo blushes. Masaki smiles as she goes to get the video camera. As she steps into the family room, she stops short at the sight of Rukia, staring up at her with frightened eyes. Masaki's mouth drops open in shock. _When did she get here?_

"Don't be afraid!" Masaki says gently, we are here to help you!" She looks at the little girl who dashes around her and goes to stand next to Ichigo. Masaki hurries and grabs the video camera before she misses anything more. She grabs a blank tape and dashes for the kitchen. It's as quiet as a tombstone as Isshin regards the beautiful child that has come to stand next to Ichigo. _She must be terrified, even though her eyes say differently. Her eyes are flashing angrily, and they're such a deep blue, just like her sister's_. Masaki hands the equipment to her husband who wastes no time getting everything ready and he films the scene.

"Ichigo, what was that bold comment you were making earlier? Something about getting married?" Isshin asks from behind the camera, grinning like a lunatic. Masaki sighs, but smiles. Ichigo's arm comes up protectively around Rukia and he glances at her for a second before shouting.

"I'm going to marry her! We promised!" Ichigo's face is bright red. Rukia nods her agreement emphatically.

"That's right, he promised! We're getting married." Rukia says in a voice that means it's the end of the discussion. Isshin smiles at the children.

"You two are so cute. How do you know you'll want to get married to each other when you grow up?" Ichigo kisses Rukia's cheek and looks at his father.

"I will marry her. She's the only girl for me." Ichigo says. Rukia looks adoringly at the boy she proclaims to be her betrothed. Masaki smothers a giggle.

"It's too late to call Byakuya and Hisana isn't it?" Masaki asks Isshin. Masaki notices the little girl's head jerk towards her.

"Hisana?" Rukia asks in a small voice. Masaki smiles gently at the small child.

"Yes, your sister, Hisana," Masaki beams at the child, expecting a joyful response. She's shocked when Rukia buries her face into Ichigo's neck and starts sobbing. Isshin and Masaki look at each other in confusion. Isshin wonders if he should stop taping, but decides against it when he hears the heartbroken voice of the child in his son's arms.

"She never came. She promised, but she never came for me." That's all Rukia will say, as her small shoulders jerk in heartbreaking despair. Ichigo understands. He's spent the past two and a half months listening to her fears. He looks at his parents.

"We stayed in that tree house for a long time. Rukia was afraid if you knew about her, you'd make her leave the tree house and then her sister wouldn't be able to find her. Rukia's sister's last words before she hid her were that she would come find Rukia." Ichigo explains. His parents share a look with one another.

"Rukia-chan?" Isshin says to the girl. She doesn't look at him, but he continues anyways. "I've been the doctor in charge of your sister. She had good reason to believe you had been kidnapped. Her health was really bad up until about a month ago." Isshin says, not sure he should break the news of her sister's engagement to the small crying child.

"She didn't even come look for me." Rukia mutters into Ichigo's neck. Masaki looks at the child and realizes that her own child has been the one looking after her. She's in his own pajamas, and even though her hair looks a bit greasy from lack of being washed, she appears healthy and generally clean. She wonders if Rukia would like to take a bath.

"Rukia-chan? Would you feel any better if I run a warm bath for you and get you a glass of warm milk?" Masaki asks, her heart going out to the child. Rukia looks up at her hopefully.

"Really?" She asks. She's surprised that they haven't yelled at her yet.

"Really." Masaki says with a gentle smile, one that very much reminds Rukia of her own mother's smile. Rukia smiles back. Masaki is shocked at just how beautiful this child really is. Her son sure does have good taste, she thinks with a grin. Masaki goes to the refrigerator and pulls out some milk. She pours it into a glass and pops it into the microwave. A minute later, she hands the cup of warm milk to Rukia and then walks to the bathroom to fill up the tub.

Rukia takes a drink of her milk and regards Isshin with big blue eyes. He turns the camera back at them.

"Tell me again about this promise you made," Isshin requests of the kids. Rukia grabs Ichigo's hand with her free hand and tells Isshin in a self assured voice.

"I will marry Ichigo, he promised!" She looks at Ichigo who nods his head with no hesitation whatsoever.

"We'll get married." Ichigo says with a new seriousness to his father. "I'm not going to break my promise." Isshin switches off the camera, for the moment. He smiles and he walks over to Rukia and pats her on the shoulder.

"Well, then welcome to the family!" Isshin gives her a goofy smile before sitting back down, trying to figure out how in the hell he's going to explain all of this to Hisana and Byakuya. He hopes they aren't angry with his son's success in hiding the small girl. Masaki appears a moment later with a bright smile on her face.

"Come with me, Rukia-chan!" Masaki holds out her hand and holds her breath. Rukia tentatively takes her hand and allows the woman who reminds her of her own mother to lead her into the bathroom for a bath. She smiles as Masaki tells her she has to practice being around a little girl in case she has one or two little girls of her own.

Isshin regards his son seriously.

"I don't know what to expect from Byakuya, even though I'm sure Hisana will be thrilled." Isshin says to his son. Ichigo regards his dad silently for a minute.

"Why didn't her sister come look for her?" Ichigo asks, trying to understand why someone would put Rukia through the pain that she had to endure.

"I didn't tell you this before, because I thought you were too young. I guess you're not though. I was there, in the Kanzaki residence when they found a note from Rukia and Hisana's uncle, claiming that he'd kidnapped her. There were even things of hers that were missing from the home." Isshin explains. "Nobody expected that it wasn't true. The uncle had even left a blue barrette on the note, which convinced everyone, including Hisana who had last seen her sister wearing the barrette, that the girl had been kidnapped.

"We heard them shout when they found that in the woods." Ichigo says, remembering the night clearly. "She was shaking so badly."

"You did a good job in saving her, Ichigo." Isshin says, realizing his son has saved a life at the tender age of four. Ichigo looks up at his dad in surprise.

"You aren't mad at me?" Ichigo asks in a confused voice.

"How could I be mad? I would like to think that if I had been in your shoes that I could have done the same!" Isshin says to his son, smiling strongly.

"It's thanks to you that she and I didn't get caught," Ichigo says suddenly, causing Isshin to stare at Ichigo with a start.

"How so?" Isshin asks, interested in hearing his son's thoughts.

"Rukia said it over and over again, that we were lucky to have such a well hidden spot to hide out in. Those men passed by so close, I didn't dare stick my head out. We both just held our breaths and hugged as we wished for them to go away." Ichigo says, glad that he and Rukia lived through it.

"I'm glad it ended up saving a life." Isshin says solemnly to his son. Then he grins suddenly and gives Ichigo a thumbs up.

"What?" Ichigo asks his father.

"You sure did pick a cute girl to marry! Congratulations!" Isshin says, watching his son blush a little bit.

"Her smile reminds me of Mom's smile." Ichigo says slowly. Isshin winks at his son.

"Your Mom does have a great smile." Isshin says with a nod of his head.

"What I really like about her are her eyes." Ichigo says as he looks at his father. Isshin nods.

"That girl was blessed with beautiful eyes, that's for sure. I hope you keep your promise and marry her." Isshin says seriously. He thinks showing grandkids the video he took tonight would be hilarious.

"I will." Ichigo says as he frowns thoughtfully.

"How do you intend to keep your promise?" Isshin asks, curious what his son's answer will be. His son doesn't answer. His wife and Rukia appear in the kitchen and Rukia's wearing a fresh pair of Ichigo's pajamas. Rukia answers from where she stands by Masaki.

"Omiai," Rukia says, answering Isshin's question. "My mom has told me all about it. Will you agree to it?" Rukia asks Isshin. He's shocked that such a small child knows about Omiai. Ichigo looks confused.

"What's that?" Ichigo asks. Masaki smiles at her son.

"It's an arranged marriage. Basically the match can be agreed to now, and then when you're older, you would get married." Masaki smiles. Never before now had she even considered that Omiai might be romantic.

"Will you agree to it?" Rukia asks again. Isshin smiles.

"I already welcomed you to the family, didn't I? Of course we would agree. Would your sister agree?" Isshin asks. Rukia looks up at him, puzzled.

"Shouldn't it be my Mom who agrees?" Rukia whispers, asking the dreaded question. She sees the surprised look in Isshin's eyes.

"The forensic tests concluded that your Mom lost too much blood to still be alive." Isshin says quietly. "Your Mom died to protect you and your sister." He says simply. Rukia's eyes widen, and she feels the tears falling, even though she already knew. She knew when their mother didn't chase after them that she was probably dead like her father. Masaki feels her heart breaking for the little girl.

"Why don't you two go back to bed." Masaki says with a smile. "We can talk more in the morning." She says, deciding Rukia and Ichigo need a break. Ichigo kisses his mom on the cheek before joining Rukia.

"Good night!" Ichigo says, grabbing Rukia's hand and running upstairs.

"Good night!" Masaki calls out before staring at her husband. He stares right back at her.

"This sure has been interesting," Isshin says, watching his wife.

"I can't wrap my head around it! For over two months, he's been hiding that girl, and we didn't even notice! Are we bad parents? All the times we were in his room, and the times you checked him out at the tree house, we should have noticed, shouldn't we?" Masaki asks him, eyes wide.

"No, our son was just unusually sneaky, and Rukia was unusually terrified. Even the police searched our house after the kidnapping and didn't find her. After seeing the note the uncle left, nobody even considered that she was being housed by our son, least of all us. I think everything will be fine. If we just explain it to Hisana, I'm sure she'll be overjoyed at the reunion with her sister and the relief that she wasn't in a pedophile's company rather than be angry that we didn't notice our son was hiding her." Isshin says, his words pounding into Masaki's head.

"I hope she forgives us. It will break Ichigo's heart if Rukia is unhappy." Masaki says softly. Isshin looks at her and scratches his chin.

"I'm not at all worried about Hisana. It's Byakuya who worries me. He's been extremely protective of Hisana, and he's seen first hand her pain and physical decline over her worry with Rukia. I'm afraid he'll be the one who will ruin things, not Hisana. I also don't see how we can keep him from being present when we explain the situation. They are engaged." Isshin says, wondering if Byakuya will lose his temper in front of the children. They're going to have to be present when the situation is explained, there's no way around it. Only they can provide first hand details of what they've been through since Hisana separated with her sister on the day her uncle broke into her home. Rukia doesn't seem like she's starved or unhealthy at all, she maybe has some emotional issues from the trauma, but it seems like her physical health is normal for a child her age. Masaki sighs.

"Let's hope tomorrow doesn't blow up in our faces." Masaki says, suddenly wishing she weren't pregnant so that she could have some alcohol. Isshin seems to read her mind.

"Do you want me to give you a back rub to relax you?" He asks, offering the next best solution. Masaki's eyes light up.

"Please!" She replies. Isshin smiles as he stands and offers her his hand. He pulls her to the bedroom.

JJJJ

"Ichigo?" Rukia asks, him as they settle back into bed.

"What?" Ichigo asks, glad the talk with his parents is over.

"Thank you for tonight. I'm glad your Mom and Dad aren't mad at us." Rukia says quietly.

"Me too," Ichigo says, kissing her forehead.

"What will happen now?" She asks him quietly. Ichigo sighs sadly.

"I don't know." His only answer, and the last thing he says before they fall asleep.


	8. Chapter 7: Omiai

Chapter 7

_Omiai_

"Byakuya-sama?" Hisana asks hesitantly when she sees him enter her room swiftly without even knocking. This is a first. He has always knocked during the day. He of course didn't knock at night when she woke him with her nightmares, but during the day he has always knocked.

"I'm sorry for barging in, Hisana, but apparently the doctor has important and urgent news that he wishes to share with you as early as possible today. He said that we must come to his house. He sounded serious. That's why I'm here." Byakuya says, wondering what in the hell is going on. Hisana looks at him and smiles. She has come to really like and respect Kurosaki-sensei. She's also been dying to meet his "pregnant wife." Hisana smiles graciously at Byakuya. She wonders if she'll get to have children with him. She wonders if when she does, if her uncle will follow through on his threat in his disgusting letter.

"I can be ready to leave within a half hour." She says, rushing to the closet. She wonders what could be so urgent that she should come over first thing in the morning. She wonders if there are tests she need to be in his office to take. She remembers he has a small son, a little older than Rukia. Hisana bites her lip as she feels a wave of pain flood her body. _I've been spending the past month in heaven and my poor sister's been going through hell._

Hisana rushes through getting dressed and is ready in twenty-two minutes. Byakuya seems like he's anxious to get along with it too. He escorts her to the car and opens the door for her. Hisana smiles shyly at him as she gets into the car. Her shy smile is covering up her thumping heart.

J J J J

"You two sit there, and do not move. At least let us greet them before they fall over in shock at seeing Rukia-chan." Isshin says, poking his son. Earlier that morning, Isshin had gotten video of them sleeping in his bed together, and of them eating breakfast together. The camera was off for now, in the corner of the room. He was going to do his best to flip it on when Ichigo attempts to ask Hisana for Rukia's hand in marriage.

"When will they be here?" Masaki asks, nervously. Her heart is racing due to the stress of explaining Rukia and her presence in their home.

"Byakuya said he and Hisana would be over in under an hour when I spoke to him. So we have that long to be nervous until they show up." Isshin says, sticking his tongue out at Rukia, who giggles at him like he's the funniest thing she's ever seen.

"Stop teasing those children. Oh no, I'm going to be sick!" Masaki's face turns an interesting shade of green before she splits for the bathroom. Ichigo and Rukia laugh at that. Rukia, is getting more and more nervous. She grabs Ichigo's hand and squeezes it tightly. He catches her eye and squeezes her hand back. This is the day they've both been dreading. Isshin follows his wife.

"Honey, are you okay?" He calls out, getting no verbal answer. He waits by the door for her to come out. When she does, he looks at her sympathetically.

"I hope that doesn't happen while _they're_ here," Masaki moans miserably. Hearing giggling coming from the couch, Masaki and Isshin make their way back to the family room, and they find Rukia holding Ichigo in a fierce headlock. Their mouths drop open in shock. She has him in a very secure lock. It doesn't look like a normal headlock either. The kids don't notice them. Rukia lets Ichigo free being merciful.

"No fair, Rukia! How did you do that against my special move?" Ichigo shouts. Rukia grins at him devilishly.

"It's a secret! I'll only tell you after we're married!" Rukia replies, sticking her tongue out at him. Ichigo pouts for a second before sighing.

"Okay." He says. He blushes when he hears his parents bust out laughing.

"Why were you trying your special move on a girl?" Isshin asks suddenly. Ichigo frowns.

"I told her I'd show her what I learned so that she can protect herself if ever she needs to. I would never hurt her!" Ichigo says, feeling embarrassed at his father's question. The doorbell shuts everyone up. Masaki takes a deep breath and joins Isshin at the front door as Rukia and Ichigo scramble back on the couch. Ichigo grabs her hand for comfort as Masaki and Isshin open the door.

Hisana is surprised to see a lovely strawberry blonde woman opening the door next to her doctor. They make a splendid couple. Hisana smiles at the other woman, who appears to be forcing herself to smile. Byakuya is right behind her with a supporting hand on her back.

"Welcome!" Isshin says as jovially as he can muster. His mouth feels really dry all of a sudden as he looks at the beautiful woman in front of him who has been in pain for so long.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, finally." Hisana says to the doctor's wife.

"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine. How are you doing?" Masaki asks Hisana.

"I've improved considerably in the past month. It's all thanks to Kuchiki-sama." Hisana says quietly as she slowly steps into the home.

"That's wonderful," Masaki murmurs. Hisana thinks it's a very cozy house, and not nearly as large at her own parents home or Byakuya's home was, even though they had nearly as much land. It was still a nice modest sized home, perfect for a small family. Hisana takes another step in and looks around. She sees the stairs that lead upward and then as she walks past them, she sees a couch with an orange haired boy and…_oh my god!_

"Rukia!" Hisana cries out. She feels her legs wobble as Byakuya catches her and stares at the owners of the home. Hisana feels tears running down her cheeks as she stares at her sister who hasn't budged from her spot. "Is it really you?" Hisana asks, before fainting into Byakuya's arms.

"Oh dear," Masaki says, looking worriedly at the scene. Rukia clutches Ichigo's hand as she stares at the man holding her sister so lovingly.

"What's going on here?" Byakuya demands in a low angry voice. Masaki stops him from continuing.

"Of course we will explain, but only after Hisana-san has recovered!" Masaki glares at the young man, who for some reason, nods his head in acceptance. He's not the type of man who argues with pregnant women. Isshin grabs his doctor's bag and pulls out the salts, but Hisana is already opening her eyes. She lets Byakuya hold her as she stares at the small girl sitting next to the orange haired boy. She feels like her entire body must be shaking.

"Rukia! It's me, Hisana!" Hisana says and Byakuya slowly lets her down as Hisana takes a step towards her sister. Hisana stops in her tracks when she sees fear and anger in her tiny sister's eyes. She stops and looks back at Isshin, uncertain. Byakuya speaks for her.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Byakuya exclaims in an annoyed voice. "I'd like an explanation!" Masaki cuts him off again.

"Please calm down. There are small children in the room!" She snaps at him. She sighs. "Please, I'd like you both to have a seat. It's a long story, and I'm sure Hisana-san doesn't want us to leave anything out. Am I right, Hisana-san?" Masaki asks the girl with a genuinely friendly smile. Hisana nods, gratefully.

"Ichigo, please introduce yourself to Hisana and tell her the same story you told us when we discovered Rukia in your room for the first time last night." Isshin says, causing Hisana to gasp and give the boy her full attention. Ichigo stands and shuffles his feet nervously.

"I am Kurosaki Ichigo, Pleasure to meet you." Ichigo says in a pleasant voice. Rukia is still gripping his hand tightly as he bows his head to her sister. Hisana bows her head in return, and Byakuya wants to snap at them to get on with it but doesn't for Hisana's sake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm very anxious to hear this story." Hisana says patiently, looking at the boy her sister is holding onto so tightly.

"It was a long time ago now, but it was the middle of the night and I was spending the night in my tree house. I woke up to the sound of a girl crying and when I stuck my head out of my tree house, I saw _her_, sitting up against the tree crying." Ichigo jerks his free thumb towards Rukia as he says _her_. "I climbed down on my rope to see what was wrong, and she told me she was being chased by bad guys." Ichigo says quietly as realization dawns on Hisana. He met her the night she met Byakuya! She sits forward, intent on hearing the boy's story.

"Go on," she says encouragingly, with a small smile, compelling Ichigo to continue.

"She got really scared because the forest got quiet. She told me the bad guys were chasing her so I took her up into my secret hideout, my tree house. I pulled the rope up and we sat there quietly for a really long time while the bad guys looked all around. They even passed right below us where we were in the tree. They even went as far as our house. They stayed around looking for her for a really long time. She begged me to hide her until you came for her. She said you promised you'd find her, and so she begged me not to tell anybody where she was." Ichigo explains. Hisana feels the blood draining from her face. Isshin speaks up.

"My son and your sister spent at least a week sleeping in the tree house. Ichigo would bring your sister food and coloring books with crayons to occupy her time when he had to come inside. We didn't mind letting him spend the week out there because we were so intent on our mission." Isshin says gently, for fear she thinks they're bad parents. Hisana just nods. Masaki speaks next.

"Ichigo snuck Rukia-chan into the house early in the morning when we were both asleep, and she began living in his room. It seems she hid in the closet a lot for fear of being found, and my son vowed to protect her the day the men were searching for her in the woods." Masaki explains gently. Hisana looks at Rukia.

"I'm so glad you're safe." She says softly to her sister who is now standing side by side with Ichigo, still not letting go of his hand. Hisana feels hurt. She thought for sure, her sister would run into her arms.

"Why didn't you come for me like you promised?" Rukia asks accusingly. Hisana's eyes widen.

"I'm sorry! I thought, our uncle…he left a note…I'm so sorry, Rukia! I should have scoured those woods searching for you! I know that's what you were waiting for wasn't it? You didn't know who to trust did you?" Hisana feels tears coming to her eyes as she feels so guilty.

"There's one more thing." Ichigo says in a very strange voice for a small boy. Hisana drags her eyes over to him, to the boy who saved her sister from unimaginable hell. She is oblivious to Isshin sliding over to the video camera and switching it on.

Byakuya notices and scowls at the doctor, but doesn't say anything. Ichigo takes a deep breath as he meets Hisana's eyes.

"I promised Rukia…I promised her, that I would marry her!" Ichigo says uncertainly at first but with gusto in the end. Hisana blinks as her sister nods her head yes furiously.

"Pardon?" Hisana says, for lack of anything better to say. Rukia glares at Hisana.

"Omiai." Rukia says simply and calmly. Hisana feels Byakuya jump up next to her.

"What?" He nearly shouts. Hisana grabs his hand and pulls him down when she sees Ichigo jump in fear and Rukia cower back and glare at him.

"I want to marry him. He saved my life and protected me. He promised me he would protect me forever." Rukia says. Ichigo steps forward and pulls Rukia with him a step closer towards Hisana.

"We need your approval." Ichigo says simply. Hisana can hardly believe he's only four years old. It's like he's a tiny adult. Hisana feels a small smile. She understands _exactly_ how her sister feels. Hisana can feel a path to victory.

"If I were to agree to this, would you forgive me, Rukia?" Hisana asks, her voice breaking. Rukia's eyes widen and she starts to smile.

"Yes!" Rukia says in a near shout. She squeezes his hand tighter. Hisana nods her head in acquiescence. Ichigo and Rukia look at each other and hug each other tightly. They let go of one another and Rukia runs into her sister's arms. Byakuya takes this moment to speak up.

"Unfortunately though, Rukia will be moving far away within a week from when Hisana and I return from our honeymoon." Byakuya's announcement causes a gasp from Rukia.

"What?" Rukia cries. Hisana immediately seeks to calm her. "We aren't getting married until the end of March. If the doctor and his wife are okay with it, you can spend Christmas here, and you can stay here during my honeymoon, and Ichigo can come over on your birthday! We're only going to be leaving because of my future husband's work and for safety reasons. Especially now that we have you. We can't have uncle making another attempt!" Hisana says trying to calm her sister. Masaki nods her head supportively.

"Of course she can spend Christmas with us. Christmas Eve too, if you like." Masaki says, as the two kids both start to cry. Hisana feels badly for them as she shoots an annoyed look at Byakuya, her first ever. Byakuya realizes he messed up her reunion with her sister. Byakuya sighs.

"If you'd like, we can certainly arrange for Rukia to spend two weeks in the summer with you, and he's more than welcome to come visit her for a week or two out of the year, but until their Miai-gekkon they'll have very little contact with one another. I'd also like to request for the sakes of the children in the future that they have a traditional Miai and odeto before the Yui-no Miai-gekkon. They may change their minds in the future." Byakuya says, earning him a dark glare from Rukia. He's a little surprised at her intensity, she's just a small child.

Rukia doesn't stop there, she sticks out her tongue at him. Hisana chokes back a giggle at her sister's outrageous behavior. Isshin steps forward getting everyone's attention since he's been by the running camera since Ichigo made his request.

"A friend of mine should be here shortly with the basic paperwork and to add any other appropriate stipulations then. I already gave my approval last night when they asked me." Isshin says with a grin. Hisana smiles at him.

"We'd also like to keep Rukia's recovery a secret from the world until the day Hisana and I are married." Byakuya says quietly.

"Does that mean I can stay here?" Rukia asks excitedly. Masaki laughs. Byakuya doesn't think it's a bad idea. Hisana wants her sister back but she understands. Someone could be keeping an eye on their home, and it would be better not to reveal they have Rukia until the wedding.

"We'd be happy to keep her here until your honeymoon is over. This way we can get a lot more precious video so that they never forget each other." Isshin says with a grin. Masaki smiles too.

"Hisana-san, if you need someplace to stay the night before your wedding, you're welcome here as well." Masaki says graciously. Hisana smiles.

"Would you like to stay here awhile longer?" Hisana asks Rukia. Rukia grins and nods at her sister in happiness. "Can you run home and get the spare clothes of Rukia's that I took with me?" Hisana asks Byakuya. He nods his head stiffly and leaves the room. Rukia sticks her tongue out at him some more as he leaves. Once he's gone, Rukia runs up to Hisana.

"Why do you love him?" Rukia asks sourly. Hisana smiles.

"He saved my life and protected me. I couldn't help but to fall in love with him." Hisana replies quietly. Rukia nods and Hisana smiles. "I knew you would understand." Hisana looks at Ichigo. "Thank you for saving my sister's life." She says to the boy who blushes in response.

"You're welcome," Ichigo mumbles. He looks up at her and notices her eyes are the same color as Rukia's.

"You were very brave. We're very lucky you happened to be around, or terrible things might have happened." Hisana says, leaning down and kissing Ichigo on the cheek. Ichigo blushes furiously.

"Um," Ichigo stammers, but doesn't get anything out. He blushes harder and looks down. Isshin laughs, and Ichigo starts fidgeting with his fingers since he hadn't expected to be kissed by Rukia's older sister.

"You're embarrassing him! Do you want to see the video from last night?" He asks Hisana. She nods happily. Isshin rewinds the tape and pops it in the VCR. It starts up and Isshin asks his son to repeat his request and Ichigo starts shouting that he'll marry Rukia because he promised to. Hisana feels guilty and a bit awkward at the part where Rukia wonders why her sister hasn't looked for her. The lawyer shows up awhile later and Rukia and Ichigo let Hisana and his parents sign their futures away to one another, for a future of wedded bliss.

J J J J

"Everything is perfect! Rukia is safe and sound and I am engaged to the most wonderful man ever!" Hisana says as she enters his home, twirling around in a quick circle. Byakuya's eyes widen at seeing her so completely happy, with nothing to bring her down.

"You're breathtaking." Byakuya says in a low voice before he grabs her and kisses her passionately on the mouth. She lets out a tiny gasp when he kisses her and that's all he needs to deepen the kiss. Hisana starts feeling her knees get weak as his hands travel up and down her back.

"Byakuya-sama!" Hisana whispers in shock when he finally pulls away.

"I must be the luckiest man alive to be marrying you," he says softly before grabbing her hand and kissing the top of it. Hisana's eyes soften and she looks into his eyes.

"I'm the lucky one, to have found a man as wonderful, chivalrous, and caring as you are." She whispers back. "March seems like it's too far away. I can't wait until the day you are finally my husband," Hisana says in a soft but emotional voice.

"I'm sure your sister will be okay with the Kurosaki family for the time being." Byakuya says. Hisana gives him a sad smile.

"I know that's what Rukia wanted, and after losing both of her parents at such a young age, I couldn't deny her anything she wanted if it was in my power to give it to her. I can't even imagine the terror those kids went through in the forest." Hisana says with a shudder.

"I am still trying to figure out how a four year old was able to adequately care for a three year old for over two months. Part of me thinks they should be very ashamed that they didn't realize it, and the other part of me wonders whether or not it's fair to think that since like us, they believed Rukia had been kidnapped." Byakuya says thoughtfully.

"I can understand why they didn't want to scare their son with the story about the pedophile, but it's ironic that if they had just told him, we might have known Rukia was safe a long time ago." Hisana says, biting her lip. "But that boy, wasn't he just the sweetest thing? I couldn't help but to think he was absolutely adorable." Hisana says, a smile filling her face at the memory of his asking her permission to marry Rukia. "I'm so lucky he saved my sister from being taken by my uncle."

For the first time since her uncle broke into her home, Hisana slept without nightmares.

J J J J

"I don't like him." Rukia announces to Ichigo in his room.

"Who?" Ichigo asks, confused.

"My sister's husband to be." Rukia says, clenching her tiny fists.

"Why?" Ichigo asks, he hadn't paid that much attention to the man. He had seemed like he was in a bad mood.

"He's not nice like your Mom and Dad. He's only nice to her." Rukia explains. "I don't think he liked me, either. I'm glad I'm here with you and not with him now." Rukia adds. Ichigo grins at her.

"Me too." Ichigo says, as he sits on his bed. Rukia looks at some of the new toys that Masaki went into town for.

They decided that keeping Rukia in the house was best, Byakuya was arranging for her whereabouts to be secret from the press, and from the local police, since he thought they were more useless than American mall security officers.

"I'm mad that he's going to take me far away." Rukia says softly.

"I don't like that either." Ichigo admits, as he stares at his official wife to be. Masaki walks into the room and smiles at the children.

"Are you two getting hungry? Dinner is going to be ready soon, why don't the two of you come downstairs?" She asks in a soft voice. They both smile at her.

"Okay!" Ichigo responds, he jumps off of his bed and takes Rukia's hand and they walk downstairs. Isshin is sitting on the couch watching TV when they come down. He grins at them hand in hand. He's glad Masaki picked up a bunch of blank tapes so that he can keep his word and gets lots of video for the two to remember each other by when Rukia moves away.

"There's the cute couple!" Isshin says with a big smile as they walk around the staircase. Rukia's eyes light up at the sight of him.

"Tell me another joke!" Rukia shouts in anticipation. Isshin appears to be thinking for a second before he looks at her seriously.

"What kind of bone will a dog never eat?" He asks her. Rukia shakes her head like she doesn't know.

"A trombone!" Isshin responds, causing Rukia and Ichigo to giggle.

"One more!" Rukia shouts.

"Okay…what do you do if you find a gorilla sleeping in your bed?" He asks them

"I don't know, what?" Rukia shouts enthusiastically.

"Sleep somewhere else!" Isshin shouts, causing her to giggle some more. Rukia has found that she loves Isshin's happy demeanor, and she loves Masaki's soft sweet nature. Rukia feels like she can relate to both of them in a way.

"Dinner Time!" Masaki calls out, and the children laugh and run to the table.

J J J J

Late the next morning, Rukia is surprised when her sister comes over and has a flower girl dress for her and a ring bearer's tux for Ichigo. Hisana wants both of them to be in the wedding.

Hisana was upset at first since she has nobody to give her away to Byakuya, but when Isshin offers to do so, as an honorary family member, Hisana gladly accepts. Since he took her sister in, he has become a dear friend of hers, someone she counts lucky to know.

"I won't be in town at Christmas or New Years. Byakuya-sama is taking me so that I can start making decisions on the decorations for our soon to be home. Will you try these on for me, so that I have one less thing to worry about?" Hisana asks. Rukia's confused since Christmas is still a month away, but she nods anyways and grabs Ichigo's hand.

"Come on, lets try these on for my sister." Rukia says, yanking him up to her room.

"Okay." Ichigo says and allows himself to be dragged. Hisana looks at Masaki.

"You don't know how guilty I feel that we're going to be moving so far away. I want Rukia to know how much she adores Ichigo, I don't want her to forget." Hisana says, with a worried look in her eyes.

"Isshin was worried about that too. He's already got a full tape of video between them. We don't plan on letting you leave town without copies for Rukia to watch so that they never forget each other." Masaki says, smiling at the other woman.

"I'm afraid that Byakuya is already talking about enrolling her into some American Japanese Schools so that her English is fluent." Hisana says in a whisper. "If that happens, there might be several years where they aren't able to communicate due to the difference in time, and depending on our activities. It's Byakuya's hope to be Prime Minister one day." Hisana admits, as she waits for her sister and Ichigo to reappear.

"I'm sure everything will be okay. We won't let Ichigo forget about his promise. We'll make sure he remembers her." Masaki assures the other woman who looks so worried.

"I am in love with Byakuya, but I'm scared, that my decision to be happy and be with him isn't the best decision for Rukia. I'm afraid he's going to raise her like she's a noble, and I hope she doesn't resent me for it," Hisana says in a nervous voice.

"The wonderful thing though, about being married to a man that is totally in love with you, like you and I are, is that they'll go practically any lengths to make you happy." Masaki says gently, trying to make Hisana aware of the power she possesses as Byakuya's intended. "Make sure you do what you can to keep her happy, you have the power, you know." Masaki adds. Hisana's eyes widen at that realization.

"I never even considered that. I was just quietly worrying." Hisana admits with an embarrassed flush.

"Does your sister have any training in any martial arts?" Masaki asks suddenly, causing Hisana's eyebrow to raise.

"Dad started to teach her just before he died. He never taught me, but Rukia has always been a very energetic child, at least when our father was alive. Dad traveled when he was younger, before he met Mom, and he had been trained in a special style of Jiu-jitsu. He started training her in the spring and then he died two weeks before our uncle attacked." Hisana says slowly.

"Rukia has expressed interest in being able to protect herself. I think one way for you to keep her happy would be to find out what style she started to learn and re-enroll her in it. Isshin and I walked in the room to find Rukia very effectively holding Ichigo in a headlock when they were playing." Masaki says remembering how her son had been shocked at Rukia's ability to get past his special move. "It might do wonders for her confidence too." Masaki says. Hisana nods excitedly.

"I remember what it was called now! "Gracie Jiu-jitsu!" Hisana sings out. "You're right, I think that will be one of my first priorities, to make sure Rukia continues martial arts training. I think father would be pleased too." Hisana says, feeling better.

They hear the kids coming downstairs and both women's hands go to their chest when they see how adorable Rukia and Ichigo look all dressed up.

"You look so cute!" Hisana says in a happy voice clapping her hands together happily. It's at this moment that Isshin enters the room. His eyes widen at the sight of Rukia and Ichigo in their wedding attire, and he makes a mad dash for the video camera.

"They really do!" Masaki says, laughing merrily. Isshin has the video camera in a flash.

"Okay kids, strike a pose!" Isshin yells. Rukia grins and grabs Ichigo and kisses him on the cheek. Ichigo, not to be outdone, grabs her back and kisses her on the mouth. All the adults mouths fall open as Rukia grabs his face and kisses him back.

"Wow, I didn't think they'd take you so seriously!" Hisana breathes wide eyed at their open affection for one another.

"He loves me." Rukia snickers as Ichigo pulls away. Ichigo crosses his arms and looks away.

"So? You love me too!" He challenges. Rukia looks at him and smiles.

"Yep." Rukia says smiling.

"Okay kids, get out of those clothes before you ruin them!" Masaki says with a laugh. They all watch as the kids dash upstairs.

"It looked like there was room in the clothes too, in case they grow in the next couple of months." Hisana says, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Are you doing okay? You look a bit stressed out." Isshin says, sitting down on the couch to join the women. Hisana sighs.

"Planning this wedding is starting to get stressful. Byakuya-sama knows so many people, and his family knows even more. I'm afraid my parents always kept us tucked away, and you two are the closest family friends that I have." Hisana says a bit sadly. "Plus I'm worried about how Rukia will adjust to the change. Byakuya-sama is very different from our father or the two of you. He even asked me if I'd want him to adopt Rukia." Hisana says, "It's a lot all at once."

"If you need any help, advice, or a friend to shop with, please call me, I'd be happy to help you out." Masaki offers with a gracious smile.

"I appreciate that very much. I am sure to be taking you up on that offer." Hisana says, smiling in relief. "Thank you so much for everything that you've done for my sister and myself. You don't know how much it means to me!" Hisana says, surprised when a tear falls from her eyes.

"We should thank you for not thinking the worst of us, since our son was hiding your sister for so long and we didn't even notice it!" Masaki says, quickly going over to the other woman and offering her a hug.

"I could never think such a thing! You are a lot like my mother, and you sir, in some ways are like my father. Although you're a lot more cheerful, and perhaps a little bit more energetic than he was. It's easy to see why Rukia loves you all so much." Hisana says smiling at the couple she has come to love and respect.

"We consider you both to be family. You and Rukia are _always_ welcome here." Masaki says with feeling. Isshin nods energetically to show they're united in this belief.

"It's encouraging to know that such wonderful people exist in this world. Rukia's already been exposed to too much evil for a child of three." Hisana says sadly.

"I'm sorry that you've been through so much, please don't hesitate to call if you need anything at all!" Masaki says. Hisana thanks her and her sister comes dashing downstairs. Hisana kisses Rukia before leaving.


	9. Chapter 8: Childhood Memories

Chapter 8

_Childhood Memories_

Time flew by quickly and Christmas came fast. Isshin made sure to get plenty of holiday pictures and videos of the kids. He had purchased some mistletoe which turned out to be a great investment, he got an adorable scene on video of the kids kissing under the mistletoe. He also caught Masaki under it as many times a day as he could.

The kids thought Isshin was hilarious, the way he'd keep an eagle eye on Masaki to get anywhere near the kitchen, which is where he hung the mistletoe. Sometimes he'd drag her under it just so he could kiss her in front of the kids, who clapped every time he caught her and kissed her.

"We're going to be that happy too!" Rukia had proclaimed when Masaki would giggle as Isshin kissed her. Ichigo had given her one of his famous childhood huge smiles as he'd nodded his head vigorously in agreement.

The kids could strongly feel the great love that his parents shared, and when they looked at each other, they knew that they wanted the kind of relationship that his parents had, and there were times when Ichigo would emulate his father and drag Rukia under the mistletoe when she was more interested in coloring. She always ended up blushing and giggling though as he kissed her because his breath tickled her cheek, and she wondered if this is how happy the princesses are in her fairy tales when they finally find their prince.

For Christmas, they all stayed in, even though it's well known as a romantic holiday in Japan. Masaki had made a feast and they had all laughed and talked about what the next year might hold for them. They discussed Hisana's wedding and they talked about Rukia's upcoming birthday.

For New Years, Masaki and Isshin treated the kids by taking them to Hatsumode, the customary first shrine visit in Japan of the New Year. Rukia in particular had stared at the large gathering of people, of the likes she'd never seen before and had stared wide eyed. Isshin had picked her up and carried her on his shoulders while Masaki had held Ichigo's hand. Rukia loved riding on Isshin's shoulders and being able to see everything going on. She had smiled and laughed a lot.

When Rukia's birthday came around, Ichigo's father took him shopping to get her a gift. While they were out shopping Isshin decided to have a serious talk with Ichigo about his very extreme decision to marry the little girl he'd saved.

"It's possible that years may pass before you see each other once her sister marries Kuchiki Byakuya. They'll likely do a lot of traveling and she may even go to school in America for several years. For her birthday, I think you should get her something very special to be able to remember you by. You must also remember that she has no control over these decisions." Isshin tells Ichigo, who looks a little bit down.

"I don't know what to get her though. What can I get for her that will help her remember our promise?" Ichigo says, feeling bad. He wants to get something special for Rukia.

"Your father is here to help you! Plus I asked your Mom. I'm pretty sure you and I will be able to find the perfect give for Rukia-chan to remember you by." Isshin says, even though he doesn't have a clue what they're getting yet.

He had asked Masaki, and she had suggested a few different things, a locket with Ichigo's picture inside, a camera so that she can take pictures for the rest of the time she's here, A personalized picture frame with their picture inside, or he could get her something like a cat, which should live long enough to still be alive when they're ready to get married.

Isshin wasn't sure about those ideas. He was worried she might lose the locket, or break a camera, and something like a cat would need to be cleared with Byakuya and Hisana first, and he didn't really want Ichigo's gift to be the source of trouble, so he didn't think getting a cat would be good. Byakuya was never extremely friendly, but he was always quite a bit more pleasant when in Hisana's presence. She brought out the best in him, that's for sure.

The personalized picture frame with the two of them in it was probably Masaki's best idea. She was already putting together a beautiful photo album of the children from the many pictures she's taken of them, and his video collection of them now totals two. He plans to have at least five videos before Rukia leaves with her sister, in April. He hates to think about how sad the kids will be when they finally have to part, considering how close they've gotten.

Ichigo ends up finding some beautiful jeweled combs. He wants to get them, and Isshin wonders whether or not this gift is appropriate. Ichigo finally insisted and won the argument with his father by telling him that hair as pretty as hers only deserves to be combed with these combs.

The combs were actually very expensive, but the way Ichigo said it with resolve, softened Isshin up like jelly. Ichigo had looked up at his father with a very determined look and Isshin hadn't been able to argue. He liked that Ichigo valued Rukia, and he hoped his son always did, no matter what happened. He also worried that with Rukia being drawn into the Kuchiki world, it may well be possible that he'll be separated from her for a long time. He stopped thinking about expense when he thought about that. He also ended up spotting a sterling silver locket and bought that for Ichigo to give to her too. He knows he'll end up ordering a personalized picture frame for his son too. The way Ichigo really loves her has been such a beautiful thing for Isshin to watch.

Isshin also ends up buying Masaki a beautiful diamond bracelet while they're out. He figures he'll save it and give it to her on White's Day.

Rukia loves her beautiful combs and locket that Ichigo gives to her on her birthday. Isshin video tapes it as she receives the gifts. Rukia holds them up to her chest like they're prized possessions and she promises Ichigo she'll always love them. Ichigo blushes and smiles at her speech and she throws her arms around him after saying all that and kisses his cheek and whispers into his ear.

"I love you, Ichigo!" Rukia had secretly told him, causing Ichigo to blush for his father's video.

Isshin and Masaki gave Rukia a few coloring books and the personalized picture frame with the name Kurosaki engraved across the top. It was silver and it held a five by seven photo in it of Ichigo kissing Rukia when she hadn't been expecting it. Her eyes were surprised but there was a smile on her lips and Ichigo's eyes were closed and he had one hand on her shoulder and the other holding a lollypop. Rukia loved those gifts as well. Hisana and Byakuya presented her with ten new dresses, all very beautiful, and lot more dressy than what Rukia is used to.

Hisana also smilingly tells Rukia in private that she will continue studying their father's martial arts style when she moves in with her and Byakuya. That there are several descendents of the style and that Rukia will definitely get to keep studying Gracie Jiu-jitsu. Rukia had smiled at Ichigo and told him that when they're married, they can each teach the other their style. Ichigo had grinned and nodded his agreement. He still hadn't forgotten how Rukia had the ability to put him into headlocks with some of his best karate moves. She still did it every now and then. He was always surprised when she brought him to submission in a matter of moments.

J J J J

When Valentine's Day approaches, Masaki and Rukia make chocolates together for Isshin and Ichigo. They also prepare some chocolate covered strawberries, just for Ichigo.

Isshin video tapes it when Rukia feeds Ichigo the strawberries from her own hand to his lips. Ichigo blushes when Rukia tells him to open up wide, like her mother used to say to her as she fed her.

Masaki snaps a black and white picture of it as well, and it comes out so beautifully that she has it blown up into a huge photo and she frames it to hang in Ichigo's bedroom. Ichigo loves it. He thinks that Rukia is awesome, and he smiles every time he sees the picture.

A month later, when White's Day came around, Isshin presented Masaki with the diamond bracelet he'd bought when Ichigo had shopped with him for Rukia's birthday gift. Masaki had taken Ichigo shopping for White's Day, he ended up getting her marshmallows and a box of mixed white and dark chocolate.

Isshin was religiously taping the moment as Rukia kissed Ichigo on the cheek and hugged him before sitting down to eat her presents. She graciously shared them with Ichigo. They ended up finishing the candy that night and played a long game of tag for over an hour after they ate all that sugar. Masaki spent a lot of time massaging her pregnant belly, reveling in the fact that she was going to be giving birth to twins. She still didn't know the gender of them yet though. She was holding off as long as possible.

It seemed like time flew as Hisana was over spending the night with the Kurosaki family the night before her wedding. Masaki was already showing in her pregnancy a great deal, and the children were closer than ever. Isshin was on his fifth video tape, which was certain he would fill before Hisana got back from her honeymoon. Hisana felt the Kurosaki family was so much like her own that it made her heart break a little bit. She did love them dearly for all they had done for her and Rukia.

Rukia makes Hisana promise that she can come back and visit for Ichigo's birthday, and Hisana gives her solemn oath, complete with a pinky swear. Hisana tells Rukia that she loves the Kurosaki family too, and Rukia hugs her sister as tears fall down her face and she admits she doesn't want to leave. Hisana understands and doesn't feel insulted.

Isshin has Masaki add the wedding into Isshin's fifth video of the kids, since Ichigo and Rukia walk up the aisle together, as planned by Hisana. Isshin walks Hisana down the aisle, and Masaki tapes that as well, although she's not sure why, since Isshin told her she could stop the video if she wanted at the end of Ichigo and Rukia's walk down the aisle. Ichigo had walked down the aisle with the rings, and Rukia with the flower petals. The cherry trees in the background make for a fairy tale like setting, and the weather is very agreeable. There are very few clouds in the sky, and the sun shined beautifully.

Masaki gets it on tape, entirely by accident when Byakuya steps forward and takes Hisana's hand after Isshin walks her down the aisle. Rukia leans forward and sticks her tongue out at her sister's groom, and thankfully Byakuya doesn't see it, and the people who do see it stifled their laughter. Ichigo however did see it and he covered his mouth to smother his giggling. Masaki got it all on tape.

After the wedding Hisana confessed to Byakuya that she felt the day had run so smoothly because her parents were looking out for her and approved of her marriage to him. Byakuya had kissed her cheek and told her he loved her dearly.

When Byakuya and Hisana leave for their honeymoon, Masaki and Isshin start getting nervous. Rukia starts to show signs of depression and Ichigo seems down too. Masaki sits down with the children.

"You two should enjoy the time you have together, since once Rukia leaves, you won't see her again for a few months. Not until your birthday, Ichigo. Wait to be sad until you're actually apart. You should cherish these two weeks before Hisana and Kuchiki-san get back." Masaki had looked at the children with a direct stare and they both agreed she was right.

For Ichigo and Rukia, the two weeks flew by way too fast. Isshin was so depressed, since he'd grown close to Rukia as well, that he actually managed to get a sixth tape done of the two of them. He had them copied and the day before Hisana was due to arrive back, Masaki presented the photo album she'd done to Rukia. Masaki cried and blamed it on her hormones from pregnancy.

Ichigo and Rukia fell asleep holding each other and crying the night before Hisana was due to arrive back. When Hisana arrived back, smiling and glowing, she felt so bad for Rukia that she agreed that Rukia could spend two weeks with the Kurosaki family in July. Rukia was so happy, she smiled. Something she was sure she wouldn't do as she had to say good bye to Ichigo.

Every single one of them cried, except for Byakuya. Isshin and Masaki cried, and held each other. Rukia and Ichigo cried and held each other. Hisana rested her head on Byakuya's shoulder and cried along with them. Byakuya was smart enough not to say anything.

Ichigo was glad his mother had put the photo of Rukia and him in his room. After she left, he spent a lot of time looking at it, and even watching some of the videos from time to time. His mom had also found a cute picture of him and Rukia sitting together and she was whispering in his ear. She got a small frame for it and left it on his nightstand.

Ichigo had tears in his eyes when he thanked his mother for that. Masaki cried as she hugged her son as he thanked her. He really missed Rukia. He had been practicing hard in karate class, but he still wasn't able to beat Tatsuki-chan.

"Very soon, Rukia will be here for a visit! Is there anywhere special that you think we should take her?" Masaki asks. She's getting bigger and bigger.

"I don't know. Do you have any ideas?" Ichigo had asked.

"We'll think of something!" Masaki had promised.

Ichigo got very excited, mid June, when Hisana called to let them know that they would be bringing Rukia and arriving in town on July First. She said that Rukia would be able to stay until July eighteenth, due to Byakuya's schedule, Rukia's time with Ichigo was lengthened, at Hisana's request.

Ichigo couldn't wait. His mood improved considerably, Isshin made sure he had a blank video tape for Rukia's brief stay. He too had missed the dark haired imp that had brought smiles to the entire family.

When Rukia arrived at the Kurosaki residence with Hisana, Ichigo shouted in happiness.

"Rukia! I've missed you so much!" Ichigo had cried out. Rukia had gifted him with a very big smile and returned the sentiment with equal fervor.

"Ichigo! I missed you too!" Rukia had run into Ichigo's arms and they'd hugged each other without letting go for a full minute, something Isshin was happy to tape. Hisana's eyes widened at the sight of Masaki's pregnant belly, she looked about ready to pop.

"Byakuya and I will be back in town on the seventeenth. We'll stay the night at his home here and come pick Rukia up in the evening of the eighteenth." Hisana had informed them.

Byakuya walked in carrying a wrapped birthday gift for Ichigo, which he set in the family room next to the TV. Byakuya stood next to Hisana as she smiled and looked around. The Kurosaki family was definitely ready for the arrival of their twins. There were two bassinets set up in the family room, and other baby items were visible in the home too.

Hisana had kissed Rukia and they'd left fairly quickly, and the moment they did, Ichigo grabbed Rukia and gave her a big kiss. Rukia had blushed beautifully and Isshin was practically crying because he got it all on film.

Rukia and Ichigo immediately requested to be able to spend the night in the tree house. Masaki had relented reluctantly, and Rukia and Ichigo started to prepare to camp outside for the night. Isshin took turns hanging out with the kids and hanging out with his wife.

Rukia and Ichigo connected like nothing had changed. Rukia's hair had grown quite a bit since he'd first met her ten months ago. Rukia had smiled and told him she loved her combs, and that she used them every night when she stared at his picture and Hisana brushed her hair. She didn't bring them with her here for fear of losing them. She said they were at home in her own bathroom which was attached to her bedroom.

"I still like sleeping in the tree house with you better," Rukia had confided, causing Ichigo to grin like an idiot.

"I'm glad," he had whispered back.

He spent the day demonstrating his karate, which had expanded since she'd last seen him. Isshin had let Ichigo demonstrate some of his moves on him when he came to see them for about an hour before going back to Masaki. He only left her when she would doze off, which was often. She was exhausted carrying around so much extra heavy weight from the twins.

They told her that they would be moving into town at the end of summer, and that they would be selling the house. She cried at the thought that she might never see the tree house where everything started, ever again. She begged them to let her and Ichigo spend the remainder of her time there sleeping in the tree house. Isshin had agreed, even though Masaki was against it. Isshin managed to convince her it would be okay though. Masaki had tearfully relented. She was crying a lot these days for no apparent reason, so even though Rukia was concerned, Ichigo dragged her back outside to play while his dad comforted his mother.

The next day, Ichigo had a surprise for Rukia, he was taking her to his karate class. The timing was perfect since Tatsuki-chan happened to be away on vacation this week. Rukia wouldn't see him getting beaten up by a girl. Rukia had enjoyed it immensely, and had hugged Ichigo after the class and told him he was amazing. Ichigo thanked her and blushed before they went back home.

That night, Masaki started her contractions. The kids were already in the tree house, and the contractions weren't close enough together for them to go to the hospital, and so Masaki prepared her bag and got nervous.

In the morning, early, Isshin took the children to a play room in the hospital, and left them under the care of the attendant there. Ichigo and Rukia were excited about the arrival of his soon to be sisters. Masaki had finally decided to find out the gender of the twins a month earlier for the purposes of decorating. Rukia and Ichigo played on the indoor jungle gym for most of the day, getting breathless, and going down the slide together.

Meanwhile, Masaki was in blazing pain. She was screaming loudly during her contractions (which were very close together now) and squeezing Isshin's hand with an intensity he'd forgotten about since Ichigo's birth. Then she started blaming him.

"You are _never ever _allowed to touch me again!" Masaki yells before she lets out a loud pained scream. "Do something about the pain for the love of god!" Masaki bellows. Isshin looks terrified. This is only the second time in his life that Masaki has acted like this. The first time was during Ichigo's delivery.

"Soon it will be over," Isshin says soothingly, he grunts when Masaki squeezes his hand so hard he's sure it's breaking.

"Not soon enough!" She gasps before letting out another scream. "Get these babies out of me now!" She started shrieking. "Use the forceps! I don't care!" Masaki lets out another scream and squeezes his hand in another death grip when he hears the doctor call out.

"She's crowning! Come on, give us a big push!" He orders to Masaki. She screams in response. "Please, you have to push now!" The doctor calls out urgently.

"You asshole! What do you think I'm trying to do? Do you think this is easy? Have you ever given birth before?" Masaki screams as she pushes as hard as she can.

"That's it! Now again! Another big push!" The doctor says excitedly, ignoring her outburst.

"No more!" Tears fall down Masaki's face and she lets out another scream as her body involuntarily listens to the doctor's command. Masaki is still screaming and crying but she stops when she hears the sound of her newborn child crying.

"Congratulations, you've given birth to a baby girl!" Masaki starts to smile, but squeezes Isshin's hand again tightly as the contractions start right back up as bad as they were a second ago. She births the placenta and is in labor again as they snip the cord.

Masaki screams, cries, and curses for another three minutes while she contracts and gives birth to her second twin. They're fraternal twin girls. The contractions keep going as she births the second placenta. By this time, Isshin is already holding their first born twin.

"Masaki, you're amazing!" Isshin had said with tears running down his face.

"Let me hold her." Masaki had said hoarsely. Isshin had immediately handed over the infant to her mother. Masaki found her first smile of the day.

"What should we name her?" Isshin asks softly. Masaki stares at the little girl's eyes and smiles at Isshin.

"We should name her Yuzu, since she is our second child." Masaki says staring at her tiny infant. A moment later the second baby is delivered into Isshin's arms.

"Yuzu it is! And what about this feisty infant?" Isshin asks as their other child lets out a loud cry and kicks up strongly. Masaki smiles as Isshin holds the infant down for her to get a closer inspection. It's obvious she's the only one of her three who will end up with dark hair like her father. A different kind of name for a different kind of child.

"How about Karin?" Masaki says as she watches the baby curl up its face into a determined look before letting out another very loud scream in the middle of her crying. The doctor winces, as most newborns don't cry so loudly.

"Yuzu and Karin, huh? I think they're perfect! Do you want to rest? I think Ichigo and Rukia would love to know the status of all three of the ladies of the Kurosaki home." Isshin says. Masaki smiles as a nurse takes Yuzu from her. She closes her eyes and falls asleep almost instantly. Isshin hands Karin to the other nurse and the girl's names are written on the chart.

Isshin hurries to the nursery so that he can deliver the good news to Ichigo and Rukia, who appear to be arguing over something. They both look up at him wide eyed when he appears to tell Ichigo he has two healthy baby sisters. Ichigo and Rukia forget their argument and laugh and hug each other. They're relieved to hear Masaki is okay, and Isshin tells them he wants to take them out to lunch for pizza. The kids smile and hold hands as the follow Isshin who has a huge grin on his face. They all have fun and eat pizza before heading back to the hospital.

That evening, Isshin takes the kids home, and they immediately run to the tree house. It's been an exhausting day, and they fall asleep quickly.

The next morning, they all go back to the hospital early. Masaki is breastfeeding Yuzu when Isshin enters the room.

"You're beautiful," Isshin breathes as he feels pride swelling up in his chest. Masaki looks up at him and gives him a lazy smile.

"Isshin, darling having two girls is a dream come true!" Masaki says it with such happiness and tenderness, and she feels a tear falling down her cheek.

"I love you, Masaki, you're amazing," Isshin says as he walks to her side and kisses her cheek. Yuzu finishes her meal and shortly thereafter, the infant is in his arms. Karin is handed to Masaki who starts breastfeeding her second infant and Isshin asks the nurse if his son can meet his sister.

The nurse agrees, since the twins are healthy and will be able to leave with their mother the next day. The day before Ichigo's birthday.

Ichigo and Rukia are awed at his tiny sister. Ichigo smiles when she grabs his finger and squeezes it tightly before scrunching her face up and then letting out a little noise, before letting go.

"Wow," Ichigo had breathed. His baby sister. "What's her name? Ichigo asks as he stares at her tiny face.

"This is Yuzu." Isshin says proudly.

"Where is Karin then?" Rukia asks.

"She's getting fed right now. Yuzu just finished, and so I was given permission to bring her to meet you, only for a minute though, I have to take her back." Isshin says softly. Ichigo and Rukia stare at him in awe until he's out of their sight. Rukia turns to Ichigo.

"I didn't know they were so tiny!" Rukia exclaims, with her eyes big and sparkling. Ichigo grins at her.

"I'm glad I finally got to see her." Ichigo says, still totally amazed that he's a big brother.

The kids get to meet Karin a little while later. Ichigo is equally impressed with this baby too. She nearly kicks Ichigo in the face too, as he tries to get a close look at her.

"Nice to meet you, Karin!" Ichigo says softly as she lets out a loud cry. Ichigo and Rukia both cover their ears at the volume of the tiny infant's lungs. Isshin quickly takes her back.

Ichigo and Rukia spend the day talking about their fighting styles, and Rukia tells Ichigo she's glad to be back with him. Ichigo does not admit that he has not yet been able to beat Tatsuki. He keeps that a secret from her.

That night, they go back home and Isshin brings carry out food from a restaurant with them. They all eat, and then Ichigo and Rukia head out into the back yard to play. Isshin makes sure all is ready for the arrival of the twins home the next day. He felt bad about how much he'd ignored the kids and so he decided to make them lists and he made them go on a scavenger hunt. They had a blast doing it, and neither one of them won since neither one could find the claw of a wolf, an outrageous request anyways.

Ichigo's list had been a bit more difficult than Rukia's but when they were done, they ended up spending time examining the items Isshin had requested they find. Among the most intriguing was a fossil, that Ichigo had found in the mud of the creek. Rukia thought it was amazing when Isshin explained to her exactly what a fossil was, and she was amazed that something so old and interesting was so close to his home.

The twins didn't come home until late in the afternoon. Isshin drove very slowly on the way home. Once again they all ate take out food so that Masaki didn't have to cook her first day back. Ichigo and Rukia spent a lot of the evening observing his new sisters. Isshin has the video camera out and is taping them when Rukia looks at Ichigo with a smile. When Masaki starts to feed the girls, both of the kids lose interest and decide to go fossil hunting again. Rukia talks with Ichigo on the way to the creek. She's dressed in some of Ichigo's old clothes, since her dresses are too nice for being the tomboy that she actually is.

"When we have babies I'll be happy too!" Rukia says happily. Ichigo grins at her and nods his head in agreement.

"Me too!" He says it happily. Later when they go back in and sit with Isshin and Masaki, his mother smiles happily and focuses on him.

"Ichigo, it's your birthday tomorrow, you'll be five!" Masaki says, smiling. "Is there something special you'd like to do?" She asks him as she watches him look at Yuzu who has started to softly cry.

"Have cake!" Ichigo answers promptly, and Rukia nods her head in complete agreement. Masaki laughs.

"Of course you'll get cake! It's your birthday after all!" Masaki says. Ichigo looks at his sisters and finally understands how important a day that actually is.

"Go to the arcade?" Ichigo asks hopefully. Masaki nods and looks at Isshin who smiles at his son.

"Of course I'll take you kids to the arcade tomorrow! It'll be amazingly fun! We will have a blast, I promise!" Isshin says with an energetic smile. Ichigo and Rukia grin at each other and ask to sleep in the tree house. Isshin nods yes and the kids tear off outside.

Rukia admits to Ichigo that her sister's husband usually ignores her unless Hisana directly asks him to talk to her. She tells Ichigo she's always been much happier with him than living with Byakuya, even if she does love her sister. Rukia and Ichigo fall asleep holding one another tightly. Rukia no longer wakes him up with her whimpering. It seems the nightmares from the past can finally leave her alone.

The next day, Ichigo and Rukia have a ton of fun with Isshin during the day. When they get home, the twins are sleeping and Masaki is cooking. They have dinner and cake, and then Ichigo opens his gifts.

When he opens Rukia's gift, his eyes widen in amazement. She has gotten him an adjustable punching/kicking bag, You fill the bottom part with water and then you can punch and kick the bag. It's perfect for practicing his karate when he's by himself. He gives her a big hug, and kisses her on the cheek. Rukia smiles and so does Isshin, since he got all of the gift opening on camera.

"My sister helped me pick it out," Rukia had admitted with a smile.

Ichigo and Rukia spend the remainder of their time together being just as close as they'd been practically since they met. They do a lot of fossil hunting, a lot of playing and of course they try to be helpful. They help Masaki whenever they can with the twins and do their best not to cause trouble. When they do play outside, they're almost never bothered by the adults who are on a new baby high.

When Hisana arrives with Byakuya to pick up Rukia, she fawns over the babies for an hour before leaving with Rukia. Once again the children cry, and so do Masaki and Isshin.

"Don't forget, Rukia's always welcome! The address of our new home will be sent to you the moment we have it!" Masaki promises Hisana. Ichigo gives Rukia a kiss good bye and she hugs him tightly.

"Don't forget about me, don't forget your promise!" Rukia says tearfully.

"Never!" Ichigo promises. Ichigo gives Rukia one more long bear hug before he lets her get into the car with her sister. He hugs his mom as the car starts to back down the driveway. He already misses her.

As he watched her face as the car drove away, he did not know that this was the last time he'd see her for close to eleven years. Nor did he ever think that he might lose faith in the little girl he'd come to love dearly.


	10. Chapter 9: Eleven Years Later

**A/N Gracie Jiu-jitsu is an ideal style that would help if a fight goes to the ground, which ninety-five percent do within ten seconds of the start of a fight. It is a real style and is very effective.**

Chapter 9

_Eleven Years Later_

Hisana had gotten pregnant and died in childbirth, along with the small life she'd been trying to give birth to. This happened within a year of her marriage. She'd been pregnant when Rukia had spent time with Ichigo's family when it was Ichigo's birthday. When she died, Byakuya became so distant towards Rukia that they barely spoke. She hardly ever lived in the same home with him for the time she was in school, he always sent her to different high end places. When they were in the same home together, he was almost always unavailable for her. Rukia concentrated on sports and school. Rukia excelled in school, gymnastics, and martial arts.

When her sister died, Rukia was too young to write to Ichigo, and too young to call him. Byakuya was too heartbroken to give Rukia the attention he knew Hisana would have wanted him to give her. He tried to compensate by providing her with the martial arts training Hisana and Rukia had gotten so excited about, and sending her to first rate schools. Her allowance was more than generous, but that was more due to the fact that if she had plenty of money for whatever she needed, she'd be less likely to try and contact him. Over the years she grew to greatly resemble her sister, which made it even harder for Byakuya to talk to her. She wasn't as soft as her sister, but she the older she got, the more beautiful she grew.

He ended up sending her to America to go to school there. She had gone to some very prestigious schools in her life. She was there until she was twelve. He had easily managed to get her into a high end school from the time she was twelve, until she was fifteen. She had all the material things she wanted. She barely ever saw Byakuya but whatever she'd needed had always been attended to, and she did enjoy learning the style of fighting that her father knew. She always smiled when she would remind herself that she was not related by blood to the cold man who financed her life.

She had been trained in Gracie Jiu-jitsu the whole time she'd lived in America. She'd actually apprenticed with a master in Gracie family and Byakuya had paid them quite a bit to take her as a student. She lived nearby with a servant/ nanny. She was considered a third level black belt in the art of Gracie Jiu-jitsu, which is essentially ground fighting, or grappling. She was also trained in kickboxing. Her gymnastics also seemed to help her in her martial arts, since her balance and judgment for moves were even more heightened due to the strict training in two different kinds of sports.

She never forgot the orange haired boy who'd saved her life, thanks to a special locket, a set of combs, and a picture frame with a very sentimental picture inside. She had not known where her sister had stored the videos, however, so many of her precious moments with Ichigo were forgotten due to her being so young at the time. She also remembered that they had agreed to get married, but she had however forgotten about the signed papers that made it inevitable. She did remember that her sister liked Ichigo too.

She had always kept the picture and combs on her dresser and she always wore the locket. Her friends had asked her about the picture, and about the locket, and she simply told some of them that he was a boy that saved her life when she was very young and she told the others that it was empty, waiting for the right picture. Sometimes though, for reasons she couldn't explain, she'd go to bed and before she'd close her eyes, she'd say his name.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," it always rolled of her tongue in a pleasantly familiar manner.

She never met any boys she wanted to date and she still wasn't close to Byakuya, but in the summer after her fifteenth birthday he suddenly took her to the same home they'd lived in when Hisana died, and when Rukia was searching through some of her sister's old things, she located the tapes. They were labeled as "Ichigo and Rukia-Tape 1" and there were six of them, all numbered at the end one through six. Rukia carried them to her bedroom where she had her own TV, and it had both a VCR and a DVD player built into it. She threw in tape one and considered whether or not she should get food first.

Rukia heads downstairs and grabs some popcorn. Byakuya isn't home, he'll probably spend the night in a hotel, like he usually does when he comes here. She hasn't really thought about Ichigo all that much lately, due to the fact that she's not sure where he is. He had moved when she was young, and her sister had been the one with the information. She's excited now that she'll get to see video of them. She wonders if it will bring back any forgotten memories.

She impatiently waits for the popcorn to get done, and she heads to her bedroom with a couple of juice packs and popcorn in tow. She gets into her room and shuts the door. She lays in bed, gets comfy and arranges her juice packs and popcorn.

She grabs the remote, sits back in her bed and presses play. The first thing she sees is Ichigo and she declaring to Ichigo's parents that they'll get married. Rukia finds his parents to be very familiar, and she recognizes and feels like she remembers that they were very kind to her. Rukia closes herself off in her room for three days, watching these videos. She laughs a lot at a lot of the scenes, in particular the wedding where she stuck her tongue out at Byakuya. She sees Ichigo giggling in the background and she grins. She finds the adorable boy as charming now as she did back then!

When she had pulled out the sixth video, a piece of paper came out with it. Rukia had opened it up and there was a brief letter written to Hisana from Ichigo's mother, Kurosaki Masaki. It was the address of their new home. Inside it had said to please send Rukia for a visit soon.

Rukia had seen the signed contract for the Omiai on the videos, she'd seen kisses exchanged between her and Ichigo and she wants to cry when she sees the familiar tree house and those familiar brown eyes that she'd loved so much when she was a little girl. Rukia is shocked to know that thinking about the young man he's become makes her heart race, a lot!

After Rukia has seen all of the videos, and reflected on the kind of man Ichigo will become, she holds the letter from Masaki in her hands very carefully as she considers what her first meeting with Ichigo in over a decade will be like and whether or not his heart races when he thinks about her, like hers is now when she thinks about him.

Rukia wants to write a letter to the Kurosaki family, but she's not sure if they moved after they moved to the location in the letter. Rukia makes a quick decision. She will have the chauffeur take her right past this address. It's nearly a three hour drive from where she's at now, it will take up most of her day if she tries to get a glimpse of the boy she is promised to. Rukia's heart pounds as she anticipates the next day. She figures she'll have the driver park and she'll walk up and down his street. She's worried the car she's in will be conspicuous or go too quickly down the street.

Rukia is still a tomboy, but she prefers to wear one piece dresses, something she spent quite a bit of her allowance on whenever she went shopping.

She decides that tomorrow she'll wear a white dress with medium sized blue flowers on it, and her white hat with the blue flower on the front. She paints her toenails blue, and she searches her closet for a pair of comfortable white sandals. She doesn't mess with her fingernails because they're in a French manicure, her favorite since it's natural looking, yet beautiful. If for any reason she unintentionally comes face to face with her betrothed, she wants to look good.

J J J J

Ichigo is sixteen and he's not the same boy he was eleven years ago. Ever since his mom died to protect him when he was nine, he's lost all the smiles that he used to have when he was a child. He no longer has the black and white picture of Rukia on his wall, or the small picture out that his mother had given to him that he'd cried in happiness over. They're both tucked away in his closet. His dad had told him about it when he'd read that Rukia's sister had died. Isshin had warned Ichigo that Byakuya wasn't likely to let he and Rukia have time together the way Hisana would have.

Ichigo didn't think that would mean he wouldn't have any contact with her at all. He had grown very angry after his mother had died. He felt like he had no reason to smile, and so he'd stopped watching the childhood videos for several years, until his father had recently brought them out.

Even though Ichigo thought he would probably never see Rukia again, he didn't date, even though some girls showed some interest, he never found any of them very interesting. If he had to describe the girls he knew, he'd call them annoying. None of the girls who expressed interest in him even knew much about him before doing so. Ichigo brushed them off like they were pesky children. There were several girls who had been so angry at his rejection they'd tried starting rumors that he was gay. Ichigo knew which girl had tried spreading the rumors and he had come down on her like a pile of weights at lunch time in front of a big crowd.

"I'm not gay because I'm not interested in a shallow, vain, conniving slut like you!" Ichigo had said very loudly, and without even thinking he had announced to his entire class, "The reason I don't date is because I'm already engaged." That had caused an uproar.

Plenty of his friends wanted to know who she was since Ichigo never talked about her, and they have never seen her. On his birthday, a few of his friends had come over and asked Isshin if it was true, about Ichigo's engagement. Isshin had grinned and told them that it was indeed true.

Ichigo refused to bring out his pictures of the girl he was engaged to, he was embarrassed enough as it was, he could just imagine what they'd say if they knew he'd gotten himself engaged to marry when he was four years old. Isshin had threatened Ichigo to show his friends the video, and he'd told him the only way he wouldn't show them is if Ichigo agreed to watch them in private the next day. Ichigo obliged.

When Ichigo watched a few of the videos of his past, it was painful. His mother was in these videos a lot, and there were several times, Ichigo had tears coming out of his eyes from the sight of her, so alive and healthy. Ichigo admitted only to himself that the girl he was engaged to had some of the most amazing eyes he'd ever seen. Her silky hair was as beautiful as he'd claimed it to be as a child. When he'd seen the third video, he'd gotten angry that he hadn't heard from the girl in ages. She had proclaimed to love him, and he'd sworn to protect her.

"Rukia, where are you?" Ichigo had whispered before he fell asleep that night. He plans on watching the rest of the videos the next day, and when he wakes up earlier than usual, he goes into his closet and pulls out the black and white photo his mother had taken of Rukia feeding Ichigo strawberries. It's well done, it looks like it was done by a pro. He doesn't know why, but he hangs it back up. He pulls out the smaller picture out that his mother had given him of Rukia whispering in his ear and puts it on his desk. He watches the first of the last three videos that day, and his sisters join him.

"Ichi-ni, is this the girl you are supposed to marry?" Karin asks as she stares at the TV, and sees a very young Ichigo being affectionate and friendly with a beautiful young child with black hair and blue eyes. Ichigo nods his head yes and keeps his usual scowl on his face.

"She sure was a pretty girl!" Yuzu says excitedly. Ichigo doesn't respond, but his eyes are locked on the TV. With his sisters around, it's easier not let himself get emotional from the videos like he would if he were alone. The girls are shocked to see their mother is pregnant with them as Ichigo and Rukia play together.

"It's been a long time since you've seen her, hasn't it?" Karin asks her brother. Ichigo again jerks his head into a nod without saying a word. When the video ends, he stands up and shuts off the TV and looks at his sisters.

"I need a break. I'm going for a walk." Ichigo says, getting up. He quickly exits his home. He hopes he doesn't see any of his friends.

J J J J

Rukia was so anxious for the car ride to the residence in the letter from Masaki to finally end. She tries to remind herself that Ichigo could have moved since then. When the driver tells her they're almost to her destination, her heart races. He drives right past the Kurosaki Clinic which has an open sign in the window. Rukia gets extremely nervous, but at the end of Ichigo's street, she asks the driver to park. She tells him she needs to stretch her legs. The first time she passes Ichigo's home which is attached to the clinic, her heart pounds, but there's no sign of an orange haired guy, so she passes and comes back around.

She's walking slowly, considering whether or not she should enter the clinic. She's certainly dressed for the occasion, but she is ashamed of the way her hands shake at the idea of confronting any member of the Kurosaki family. She mentally beats herself as she stands uncertainly in front of the residence. She's still standing there like a moron when Ichigo storms out of the house and very nearly runs her over. His eyes widen in surprise when he nearly knocks a girl he doesn't know over. Ichigo quickly reaches out and steadies her on her feet before she can fall. She keeps her face down as he straightens her out.

She is keeping her head down because she can feel her face is a dangerous shade of red. Rukia knew the moment she caught a glimpse of his orange hair that she was being straightened up by her future husband, if he kept his end of the agreement. She's so scared and uncertain that she cannot bring herself to meet his gaze.

"I was thinking about going inside. My stomach has been a mess lately," Rukia says in a near whisper. When she speaks, he finds her voice to be intriguing. Perhaps it's because he has yet to see her face. The hat she's wearing effectively covers her face as she keeps her head down.

"Do you want me to go get my father for you?" Ichigo asks, wondering why he's so curious about her face. He lets his eyes run down the length of her body. She's very petite, but she still has enough womanly attributes to make his curiosity stronger. He lets his gaze fall to her shapely legs. He thinks they are the nicest legs he's ever seen on a girl. He scowls, since she isn't even looking at him. She appears to be looking at a wristwatch, it's white and blue like her dress.

"I think I'll come by at another time," the girl says in a soft voice. "It seems I'm running late." Rukia feels like her heart is about to jump out of her chest. She can't just walk away without seeing if his eyes are as kind as they used to be.

Ichigo holds his breath as her head starts to slowly raise. He doesn't notice his sisters at the door watching. Ichigo takes a quick breath when her eyes finally appear and gaze intently at his own. He can't move, he can't speak, all he can do is stare at a pair of eyes that are the most amazing shade of blue. She quickly turns and walks away. Ichigo stands there staring after her, uncertain of why she invoked such a reaction in him. He quickly turns when he hears his sisters.

"She had the same eyes, didn't she?" Yuzu asks Karin excitedly.

"You might be right, although it's impossible to know for sure, since we don't know what she looks like now, only as a little girl." Karin objects with almost no conviction.

Ichigo's eyes widen as he realizes his sisters are right, the girl whose eyes he was just looking at looks a hell of a lot like Rukia's older sister Hisana had looked in the first video he'd seen last night.

"Shit!" Ichigo yells and runs in the same direction _she_ had gone. "Was that Rukia?" Ichigo asks himself out loud. There is no sign of her now. It's as though she disappeared. Ichigo walks back home in a daze and decides to watch the last of the videos. His sisters insist on joining him.

When they get to the video of Hisana's wedding, Ichigo is sure. He's sure that the girl he nearly knocked over is the same girl he asked to marry him eleven years ago. _Why hadn't she said anything? _

Ichigo's still surprised that he'd immediately found her attractive. That hasn't happened before. He'd liked everything about her when he'd looked her over from head to toe. Her hair was still that amazing silky black, and her eyes are still that shade of blue that could stop you in your tracks. Ichigo spends the rest of the day in a confused daze. He wonders when he'll next see his very pretty future wife.

When Ichigo realizes where his thoughts are headed, he shakes his head at his inability to hold a grudge against the girl, if she is Rukia. He's already calling her his future wife in his head. He ends up with a headache when his father finds him.

"Yuzu and Karin told me! You saw Rukia-chan today didn't you?" Isshin shouts.

"I think so." Ichigo responds glumly, still wondering why she hadn't told him her name when she stood in front of him.

"I can't believe it! After eleven years, you're finally reunited with the love of your life!" Isshin is happy for Ichigo.

"She ran off." Ichigo says in an angry voice.

"What?" Isshin asks, sitting at Ichigo's desk. He looks up and sees Ichigo hung up the black and white photo he'd put away six years ago. "Why?" Isshin asks.

"Beats me. I didn't know who she was at first, because she kept her head down and she had on a big hat. Before she turned to leave, she looked up at me and I saw those eyes. She looks a lot like her sister." Ichigo says quietly.

"Why didn't you stop her?" Isshin asks as he whacks his son upside the back of his head. Ichigo jumps up and glares at his father.

"I wasn't totally sure at first, and when I saw her eyes, I was frozen on the spot. When I finally went after her, she'd disappeared!" Ichigo looks at his dad. "Do you think she remembers?" Ichigo asks him desperately.

"I can't think of any other reason you'd run into her in front of our home." Isshin says as he stares at his son meaningfully.

"I wonder if I'll ever see her again." Ichigo sighs as he sinks back down onto his bed. His father stands and puts a supportive hand on his son's shoulder.

"Don't lose hope, maybe she was just too scared to say anything, you do seem to have a permanent scowl on your face these days, maybe she took one look at that and thought you had changed from the boy she fell in love with all those years ago. You just have to prove her wrong!" Isshin says before leaving his son's room.

J J J J

Rukia's angry with herself the moment she's heading back home. Sure she had the courage to look into his eyes, but she'd been so shocked at what she'd seen there that she knew she wouldn't be able to speak to him without sounding like an idiot.

He looked at her like he was interested in her. He had also seemed like he recognized her when she'd finally met his eyes. She'd seen his face go into a surprised expression that he didn't lose as she turned and hurried away. His eyes were just as warm as they'd been in the videos.

She wonders if he's figured out who she was yet. If so, he might be bothered that she took off the way she did. She hopes he isn't mad about that, but her nerves had failed her the moment she'd been standing face to face with the boy destined to be her husband. He's a lot taller than her now too. When they were children, she had been shorter than him, but not by much. To kiss his cheek now, the way she did when she was a child, he'd have to be sitting down, otherwise she'd have to yank him down to her face.

Rukia wonders why she's thinking about kissing him already when she can't even say "hello, remember me?"

She knows it's her responsibility to make the next move, after all he has no idea where she lives, and she ran away from him. She can't blame him if he thinks she'll never come back again. The first time she sees him in eleven years and she runs off like a coward.

_I am not a coward! _Rukia puts her chin up. The moment she gets home she will write a letter to Ichigo. She will admit that she is the girl he ran into, and she will apologize for her behavior. I will tell him that when my sister died, Byakuya didn't know where you were or where Hisana kept the information at. I will explain that I recently found the videos and the letter, and the reason I came was to see if it was still a current address.

_I was not running away from you or our promise. I look forward to the day we meet again._

Rukia works it all out in her head, until she starts feeling better. The long drive makes her antsy though, because now she can't wait to get started on her letter to the boy who made her heart beat crazy. She remembers how he grabbed her to keep her from falling. Rukia touches the spots on her arms with her fingers that he touched. She's amazed when a shiver runs throughout her body like an electrical shock.

_Have I fallen back in love this fast?_

J J J J

"Something wrong?" Sado is sitting on the couch and Ichigo covers his eyes with his hand.

"The past has been coming back to haunt me." Ichigo mutters as he sits forward.

"You seem angrier than usual." Sado remarks in a low voice.

"Would you believe me if I told you it was girl trouble?" Ichigo asks Sado, whose eyes widen in response.

"I don't know. Is that what it is?" Sado asks in surprise. Ichigo sighs.

"Yeah. It's the girl I'm engaged to." Ichigo admits. Sado sits forward. He had been there for Ichigo's announcement last winter when a popular girl had tried to spread a rumor that Ichigo liked guys. Ichigo had refused to elaborate about the girl he was marrying in any way shape or form, so the fact that he's bringing it up now is shocking to say the least.

"Do I know her?" Sado asks. Ichigo shakes his head no.

"Probably not, she doesn't live around here…I think." Ichigo says angrily. Not that he knew where she lived at all, for all he knows, she lives around the block.

"What?" Sado asks, more confused than ever.

"I haven't seen her in awhile…well a really long time…I think." Ichigo says quietly. Sado raises his eyebrows as he stares at Ichigo.

"What?" Sado asks again.

"I think she came over two days ago. I'm pretty sure it was her. She ran away from me though." Ichigo says with a frustrated sigh. Sado looks at Ichigo, waiting for him to make sense.

"When did you get engaged?" Sado finally asks. He's surprised to see Ichigo turn bright red.

"Can we not discuss that part?" Ichigo asks with a groan. Something like saving a little girl's life as a child and then insisting on an Omiai was not something that agreed with Ichigo's reputation as a rebel who doesn't give a fuck. Chad gets even more confused.

"It's not like it could have been that long since you've seen her, right?" Chad says, probing further. When Ichigo looks up at him, Sado is shocked. He can see the truth right there on Ichigo's face.

"Never mind. Forget I said anything at all." Ichigo says with an embarrassed sigh. The two sit in silence for a few minutes until Isshin busts through the door with a letter in his hand.

"Guess what Ichigo? You got a letter! There's a return address but no name, but it's a pink envelope! Who do you suppose it could be from?" Isshin asks with a little dance and a hoot at the end of it. Ichigo jumps up off the couch.

"Hand it over, Old Man." Ichigo holds his hand out and Isshin sets the envelope in his son's hand. It's thick.

"Enjoy! Sado, come here and try the leftovers that Yuzu made last night, she's so fabulous in the kitchen!" Isshin yells.

Sado joins Ichigo's father in the kitchen while Ichigo holds the letter in his hand. He feels stupid because his heart is racing uncontrollably. Ichigo takes a deep breath and slowly opens it. A few pictures fall out.

Ichigo looks at them before reading the letter. The first picture makes him smile. It's a recent picture of Rukia, she labeled it as her fifteenth birthday. In it, she's holding the jeweled combs that he'd given her so long ago. She's wearing a one piece dress that is all white and she's sitting in a chair leaning forward and the picture is taken from a bit of an angle.

The second picture is a face shot of Rukia taken the previous month. It's obvious that the girl who'd stood in front of him the other day is indeed Rukia.

He looks at the last picture and blushes. Rukia writes that she took it the same day she saw him and hurried to get it developed. She's wearing the same dress she had on that day, and she's leaning up against a wooden railing. She has a strawberry in her hand and she has her head tilted in the air to bite it. Even though her mouth is slightly open to eat the strawberry, you can tell she's also smiling at the same time.

After looking at the pictures, he prepares to read the letter. He takes another deep breath.

_Kurosaki Ichigo, _

_I would like to first apologize to you for my atrocious behavior the other day when I bumped into you. I can only say that I was too shocked and nervous to react properly, and I truly hope you forgive my rude and childish actions. For the long drive home I swore to myself that I would write to you and let you know that I did not purposely stay missing from your life for the past eleven years._

_My sister was the one who kept all the information about you when I was a young child. When she died, Byakuya did not know where she kept the videos, your changed address, and all I had were the picture your parents gave me, the combs you gave me, and the locket I have worn every single day of my life. The dress I wore the other day hid it, but I did have it on._

_I only recently rediscovered the videos, and your address. My true intention that day was simply to verify whether or not it was still current for you before I wrote a letter like this one. _

_I also don't know what you remember about us, but knowing your family, you probably didn't forget our promise. I look forward to the day we meet again. I will also write immediately if my address changes. Please tell your parents that I said hello, and tell your sisters I cannot wait to meet them again._

_Love,_

_Kuchiki Rukia_

Ichigo's hand shakes. He focuses back on the pictures of her. She's grown into a beautiful young woman. He feels his breath catch in his neck. The girl that meant so much to him as a child and she apparently still means a hell of a lot to him even now. It feels so natural, he stares at her eyes before he smiles. She didn't purposely lose contact with him, it had been Hisana's unfortunate death that had unintentionally caused them to not be able to meet.

Upon finding his address, she had come to visit fairly quickly. She even mentions their promise. Like his father would ever let him forget. He wonders if she regrets making such an agreement with him. She had after all, only been three years old when the agreement was drawn up. Ichigo brings his eyes back to the picture of her with a strawberry and he feels a smile on his face. She can't possibly be afraid of her agreement with him to send him a picture like _that._

He thinks of the things he's accomplished for her. His karate is now at an impressive level and he only started at such a young age because of her. It had come in handy when he'd been picked on for the color of his hair. He also suspects that it is because of her that he found all other girls completely lacking and uninteresting. Ichigo suddenly feels like a young boy again when a grin comes over his face and he shouts in his mind._ I promised to marry you and I will. I won't let you back out on it now, not now that I've seen you. _

Ichigo doesn't notice that his father has crept up behind him and he sees the pictures in his son's hand, and he smoothly yanks them away.

"What do we have here? Oh look! It's Rukia-chan! My future daughter-in-law!" Isshin shouts happily. He takes one look at the picture of Rukia with the strawberry and starts wiggling his eyebrows obnoxiously at Ichigo. Sado comes to see what all the commotion is about and he give Ichigo a look when he hears what his father says.

"Daughter-in-law?" Sado echoes, as he looks back and forth between Ichigo and his father. Ichigo crosses his arms with a great big scowl when Isshin jumps over the couch to stand next to Sado and show him the pictures of his very beautiful future daughter-in-law. Sado thinks the girl is very pretty.

"This is Rukia-chan!" Isshin says with a huge proud smile. "It seems Ichigo hasn't scared her away yet!" Isshin says, still smiling. Ichigo walks over and yanks the photos back.

"Shut up!" Ichigo yells, he then turns to Sado. "Please don't tell anybody about today, okay?" Ichigo asks, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"No problem." Sado says. "I'm going to take off." Sado says, feeling like Ichigo needs some alone time. Ichigo waves and stands there staring at his father as Sado walks out the door.

"Take me to see her. Please." Ichigo asks his dad. Isshin looks at Ichigo.

"Is that a good idea? Shouldn't we get Kuchiki Byakuya's approval first?" Isshin asks his son.

"What are you talking about? I have to see her!" Ichigo protests. Isshin shakes his head no.

"Son, I want you two to get back together too, that's why I won't risk you taking any action that could provoke him to overturn the agreement." Isshin says regretfully. Ichigo glares at his father.

"Don't joke around with me!" Ichigo says, getting angrier.

"You have to do things the right way! Write her back, send her some of your pictures. We might need to take some since we don't have any of you smiling. Trust me." Isshin says quietly. Ichigo glares at his dad before stomping up to his room. He slams his door very hard once he's in his room. He paces for a minute before going into his sister's room. He locates a disposable camera that has a five pictures left on it and he goes to look for his father.

Isshin looks up in surprise when Ichigo thrusts a camera into his hands. He raises his eyebrow questioningly. Ichigo growls.

"I'm trusting you. Take some damn pictures." Ichigo says glaring daggers at his father. Isshin chuckles.

"Only if you smile." Isshin says. Ichigo frowns and closes his eyes for a moment as he imagines Rukia with a strawberry in her hands, smiling. He feels the dumb grin appearing on his face, and so he opens his eyes. His father flashes the photo before Ichigo can frown again. Ichigo blinks at the flash and quickly resumes his usual scowl.

"Did you get it?" Ichigo growls. Isshin laughs openly.

"Lets get one more, take off your shirt this time!" Isshin says with a thumbs up sign. Ichigo's face turns completely red.

"Is that the right way of going about things?" Ichigo asks, once he's able to speak again. Isshin laughs.

"Stick your head in the sink and get some water in your hair." Isshin presses.

"Shut up! Be serious!" Ichigo yells as his father grins.

"I was being completely serious! You've got to send something that equals that cute picture of her with the strawberry!" Isshin says, causing Ichigo to blush again.

"You're insane." Ichigo says, crossing his arms.

"Stop being stubborn. You know I'm right. Tell me your heart didn't race when you saw her with that strawberry, don't you want her to have that same feeling?" Isshin asks his son seriously. Ichigo grimaces. It's true, that damned picture with the strawberry affected him physically when he looked at it. He sighs in defeat before he removes his shirt. He walks over to the sink and turns on the water. He sticks his head under the faucet for a minute. He pulls his head out and runs his fingers through his hair, to make it look like he just got out of the pool…or shower.

Isshin is grinning wildly as Ichigo turns around and looks at him questioningly.

"What now?" He asks his dad, completely clueless.

"We only have four shots left…lets do one with your arms crossed like Superman!" Isshin says. Ichigo doesn't have any problem with that. He quickly crosses his arms, and glares at his father. His dad stares at him until Ichigo sighs and closes his eyes again. After a moment he's able to pop the corners of his mouth up a bit and he opens his eyes as his dad takes the picture.

"Now?" Ichigo looks at his Dad. Isshin appears to be considering.

"How about a karate stance?" Isshin asks. Ichigo immediately puts both of his fists up as though he's preparing to be in a fight. He doesn't have to smile for this one. His dad takes it quickly. He wants Ichigo to flex his muscles, but Ichigo refuses.

"That would be way too corny. Come up with something else." Ichigo orders. Isshin looks at Ichigo for a second and then steps to his side.

"Son, turn your head and wink for the camera," Isshin says. Ichigo sighs, but he does as asked and forces his mouth out of its scowl for the picture too.

"Only one more left." Ichigo says with relief. His father frowns at him.

"Lets get one with your sisters!" Isshin says happily. Ichigo nods.

"Okay." Isshin walks outside and starts shouting for the girls who are supposed to be a few doors down. The girls come running very quickly as they're embarrassed by their father's loudness.

"You called us home to take a picture?" Karin asks angrily, scowling like her brother at her father.

"Don't glare at me young lady, it's for Rukia-chan!" Isshin says, and Yuzu gasps.

"Really?" She asks, excitedly. Isshin nods with a grin. Karin sighs and relents.

"Ichigo, stand in between your sisters and put an arm around each one!" Isshin orders. "Now smile!" Isshin says. Karin manages to not look angry and only looks bored, Yuzu smiles hugely, and Ichigo manages a small smile for the picture.

"Thanks," Ichigo says quietly as he walks over to take the camera from his father, but Isshin yanks it away.

"I'll take it to get developed, you work on your letter!" Isshin says as he bounces out of the house. Ichigo sighs and heads up to his desk. He thinks a long time before he writes. He ends up throwing away a few different attempts at a letter before he completes one that satisfies him. Ichigo reads it carefully.

_Rukia,_

_Thank you for the pictures, I'm glad I finally have a recent picture to look at, it's easier to explain. I have not forgotten my promise to you, and I look forward to keeping my promises to you, since I made more than one to you. Maybe you don't remember that, but I do. _

_I am sending along a second letter for Kuchiki Byakuya, requesting a formal Miai so that we don't have to be strangers anymore. I forgive you for running away when you were here, I think I understand. I hope to see you very soon, truth be told I am anxious to see you again. I too have enclosed a few photos. I look forward to the day you're back in my life._

_Love _

_Ichigo_

Ichigo goes downstairs, he's shocked to find that his Dad already got the pictures developed and left the ones of Ichigo on the kitchen counter. Ichigo's pleasantly surprised that they don't look half bad. Ichigo pulls the one with his sisters, the one before his father got his shirt off, and the Superman pose picture. He adds his phone number to the back of the picture that has him with his shirt on. Ichigo fills out the envelope and rushes to get it in the mail.


	11. Chapter 10: Miai & A Challenge

Chapter 10

_Miai & A Challenge_

When Rukia gets the mail and discovers the letter from Ichigo to her, and the letter to Byakuya, she opens up her letter first. She smiles as photos of Ichigo fall out. Her heart nearly pops out of her chest when she sees the one of him shirtless. He sure is nicely filled out. He's muscular, yet slim. She drags her eyes away from that and reads his letter. She smiles once she knows why he wrote to Byakuya.

Rukia runs inside and calls Byakuya. She isn't surprised when she gets his voicemail. He meticulously avoids her as much as possible. Rukia informs him that both she and he received a letter from Kurosaki Ichigo and now that she knows his location, she wants to move to that city and attend that school. She asks him to arrange it and ends the message by reminding him that her sister had given her approval, and she is now old enough to participate in the Miai and odeto. She stops and says thanks and hangs up.

Rukia is shocked when Byakuya arrives home in less than an hour. She hadn't actually expected him to show up. He yanks Ichigo' s letter off the counter and scowls. He still thinks the whole marriage agreement between little kids was a crock of shit, but Rukia was right, his sister did wish for Rukia's happiness, and that means agreeing to her stupid wish, even though he'd planned for her to go to a much higher level school this time around. Rukia was a grade ahead of normal kids, because Byakuya had gotten her started a year early, thanks to her smart mind and his connections.

"Rukia." Byakuya's voice always makes her freeze in her tracks these days. It's so rare that he speaks to her, and he definitely has not spoken more than four sentencesat once directly to her in over eight years.

"Yes, Ni-sama?" Rukia squeaks, dreading whatever he might say next.

"If you feel at anytime that you don't want to marry that kid, if you want to leave that town, don't hesitate to contact me. You can't be expected to uphold a bargain you made when you were three years old. Don't feel obligated unless you really think it will make you happy, okay?" Byakuya says, causing Rukia's mouth to fall open in surprise. This was totally unexpected.

"Of course!" Rukia says, nodding her head yes.

"Do you want to reside near the Kurosaki family, or not?" Byakuya asks in a business like tone.

"Oh yes, as close as possible so that he can walk me to and from school!" Rukia says with a smile. "I still very much adore that boy," Rukia adds with a smile. Byakuya is struck by how much she looks like Hisana in this moment.

"I haven't been there for you the way I should've been, but I'll be there for your Miai. I'm sorry Rukia, I was wrong, and I'll do as you and Hisana desire. If you wish to be with Kurosaki Ichigo in two years, after you spend time with him, then I'll give you the wedding of your dreams. I'll invite the Kurosaki family to the house for dinner. Plan for it to be Friday." Byakuya says, before turning and leaving. Rukia's heart races, Friday? She quickly chases after Byakuya.

"Wait! Let me give you his phone number, he included it with his picture!" Rukia calls. Byakuya turns to face her.

"No need, he added it in his letter to me as well. I'll call them now. I'll extend the invitation to last the weekend." Byakuya says, and Rukia yells for the chauffeur. She'll need new clothes for her Miai! Clothes that show off her beautiful locket!

J J J J

"Ichigo!" Isshin bursts into Ichigo's room, startling Ichigo who had been staring at the picture of Rukia with the strawberry. Ichigo blushes and hides the photo quickly, but his father isn't paying attention. "Kuchiki Byakuya just called me!"

"What?" Ichigo sits up straight, shocked. He'd only mailed that two days ago!

"The whole family is invited to their home, about three hours away for dinner. He said we could spend the weekend, if it didn't interfere with our schedule!"

"Really?" Ichigo asks, shocked.

"We should go buy you a suit! You should look nice for your reunion with Rukia-chan!" Isshin is excited and he runs off to tell the girls. Ichigo sits back and thinks about the whole thing.

He suddenly realizes he should probably have something for her, something special to show he was serious about his letter, and his promises. Ichigo ponders what that would be. His mind immediately pictures a ring. He wonders if that would anger Byakuya. He probably shouldn't get her a ring just yet. What then?

Ichigo carefully considers it as he pulls the picture back out of Rukia with the strawberry. She's got this feel to her, that she's an amazing girl the moment you look at her. Ichigo nervously wonders if she's dated at all. He knows plenty of kids who were in relationships as early as twelve and thirteen. He hopes Rukia, like him, refrained from dating. Ichigo mulls it around in his head and finally decides to just go shopping. It's not too late yet.

J J J J

"Wow, it's huge!" Yuzu breathes as they are pulling up the driveway of one of many Kuchiki mansions.

"Some things never change. This is a house he inherited from his father." Isshin says, chuckling at the girls expressions. Ichigo tries not to show his amazement. He certainly wasn't doing this because she had wealth. The girls had shared a suitcase for their weekend , and Isshin had a duffel bag, a suit bag, and a brand new digital recorder, Ichigo did as well minus the recorder, but he also had a little present for Rukia tucked in his pocket. They decided not to arrive in suits or they'd be all wrinkled.

When they reach the door, Ichigo finds he's relieved his family is standing here with him. They're sure to help take some of the attention off him. Isshin's video camera was all they needed to watch for. Ichigo hadn't cared as a kid, but things weren't awkward back then.

A servant opens the door. Byakuya appears in a suit, with Rukia standing behind him on the stairs. Ichigo's heart jumps at the sight of her, which is certainly a far more pleasant sight than her brother.

"Welcome to our home, please, come in." Byakuya says with as much civility as he can. He tries to smile at the young girls, who were infants the last time he saw them. _Time really has flown_, Byakuya thinks. "I am Kuchiki Byakuya." He introduces himself to the girls.

"Kurosaki Karin, pleasure to meet you," Karin says with an awkward curtsy. Yuzu smiles graciously and dips into a much more graceful curtsy than her sister.

"Kurosaki Yuzu, a pleasure to meet you!"

Ichigo finally gets inside and is able to face Rukia formally. She looks lovely. She's wearing a light purple dress that comes down in a v on her chest, showing off her locket. Ichigo smiles warmly at her when he notices that.

"Allow me to present my sister, Kuchiki Rukia." Byakuya says to Ichigo and the rest of his family. Rukia bows and gives the entire family a sunny smile.

"Welcome to our home! Please, make yourselves at home while you're here!" Rukia smiles and steps closer to Ichigo. "I'm pleased to finally be able to speak to you after so long. After you're shown to your room, please come join me in a cup of tea before dinner." Rukia says with a smile. Ichigo nods his head.

"I would like that. You look amazing." Ichigo says softly, before allowing the servant to lead him away.

Rukia looks up after him and smiles. She's happy, now that she knows he's definitely still interested in her. She turns and smiles at Byakuya.

"Thank you!" Rukia quickly hurries off to make sure tea will be ready for when Ichigo comes back downstairs.

J J J J

Ichigo pulls the little box out of his pants and tucks it in his suit. Maybe during tea, he'll find a moment to give it to her. He's determined to give it to her as soon as possible. He hurries downstairs and runs into a servant.

"Can you please tell me where I should go for tea?" Ichigo asks, looking around nervously. The servant starts walking and so Ichigo follows. A minute later they're in a parlor, and Rukia's brother is there as well.

Rukia's glad she's sitting when he enters the room in a black suit. She feels her breath catch in her throat at the sight of him. She can't believe she's lucky enough to already be engaged to him. She admires his looks wonders how many girls have thrown themselves at him, and she wonders if he's experienced. She hopes not.

Ichigo finds his eyes are almost always on Rukia. He has to force himself to look at Byakuya when he talks, but he always drags his gaze back to her mesmerizing eyes. The rest of his family arrives to join them.

"I'm so pleased that you can stay for the weekend on such short notice!" Rukia is saying to Ichigo his entire family.

"I was excited to see you too, since we were great buddies in the time you stayed with our family." Isshin says smiling.

"I too, wanted to meet the only girl my brother ever showed any interest in!" Yuzu says smiling, causing Ichigo to blush in embarrassment. Rukia smiles brightly. She has the answer to her question now, Ichigo wasn't into anyone but her!

"We saw some of the videos," Karin adds with a smile.

"It's so romantic!" Yuzu sighs.

"How long until the wedding?" Karin asks. Byakuya scowls, and Isshin winces.

"Ni-sama decided I should have two years to date Ichigo before starting to plan a wedding." Rukia answers softly. Ichigo meets her eyes and smile a little bit.

"Are you going to continue living here?" Yuzu asks with concern. Rukia wants to surprise Ichigo with moving to his town, and she told Byakuya that.

"Her location of residence hasn't been decided just yet." Byakuya says, so that Rukia doesn't have to lie. It's obvious the two kids are attracted to each other. It looks like Rukia will push to keep her promise. He remembers seeing the same look directed at him from Hisana. A servant appears and motions to Byakuya that dinner is ready to be served.

"I hope you two are able to get close again!" Yuzu says with another pleasant smile. Byakuya stands.

"If you will please follow me, dinner is ready." Byakuya announces. Everyone gets up to follow him and Ichigo ends up behind Rukia. Since Byakuya's in the front, and everyone else is facing forward, Ichigo pulls the present out of his pocket and slides it around in front of her. She looks up at him in surprise.

"I figured your brother would get mad if I got you a ring, so I got you a different kind of ring," Ichigo whispers. Rukia puts the box in a small handbag. She doesn't want to open it in front of everyone. Ichigo looks relieved.

They enter the dining room and Byakuya sits at the head of the table with Rukia and Ichigo on either side of him, facing each other, and nobody sat next to Rukia. Karin and Yuzu were on the same side of the table as Ichigo, and Isshin sat opposite of Byakuya. There were two empty seats left next to Rukia.

"You have a beautiful home," Isshin says to Byakuya. Byakuya nods graciously.

"You sold the home you used to live in, I remember Hisana mentioned to me that you had moved." Byakuya says a bit awkwardly.

"I opened up a clinic in the town. We moved to be close to it. It was a lot more practical with a young boy and twins to care for." Isshin responds, and then he looks at Rukia. "I don't know if you remember my wife, Masaki, but she passed away." Isshin says, to prevent an awkward moment between Ichigo and Rukia.

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that," Rukia says in a small voice. Ichigo scowls, and Rukia can't stop staring at him. Her heart pounds so hard around him and his scowl is as cute as his smile. Ichigo notices her looking, and he tries to smile.

"Will you give me a demonstration of your karate this weekend?" Rukia asks Ichigo with a smile. Ichigo grins back.

"It would be my pleasure," Ichigo says, awkwardly yet happily. It's difficult to try and act proper around her stiff brother. He wishes the guy wasn't always around.

"I'll be happy to be your opponent," Byakuya speaks up. Ichigo's sisters and father all jerk their head towards Byakuya, but Ichigo keeps his eyes on Rukia. Her mouth has fallen open at her brother's announcement.

"I wasn't expecting to do a _demonstration_ with your brother, but can hardly refuse the host." Ichigo says, stressing the word demonstration.

"We will not be doing a demonstration. In case you weren't aware, Kurosaki Ichigo, the man who was responsible for you and Rukia meeting is still out there. I want the peace of mind to know you can protect my late wife's little sister. This will be an official challenge." Byakuya says quite seriously.

"May I ask that we do this on the same day we leave then, to avoid any awkward feelings?" Ichigo asks, his face red.

"Very well. Before you leave, we'll have a match. You win, I'll give you five minutes alone to say good bye to Rukia. If you lose, you have to leave and say good bye in my presence." Byakuya says, causing Ichigo to inwardly groan. It's like he plans on being a constant chaperone over the weekend.

"It's a deal." Ichigo agrees. Karin smirks and Yuzu gasps. Isshin laughs and Rukia remains speechless.

"What style have you trained in?" Isshin asks Byakuya.

"Judo and karate." Byakuya answers. "I also have weapons training, although I won't have those in my match with your son." Byakuya says.

"That's good." Yuzu says with a sigh of relief.

"If it's about testing Ichi-ni and his ability to protect your sister, why are you leaving your weapons out of it?" Karin asks without thinking.

"Karin-chan!" Yuzu gasps and Karin blushes.

"I'll test him, but I'm not trying to kill him." Byakuya says, with a hint of a smile playing his lips. Karin reminds him of the way he used to act when he was a kid.

"Ichigo, we have a swing in the back, would you like to go sit on it with me and catch up?" Rukia asks as dinner comes to an end. Ichigo nods. Rukia stands and leads him out back, through a deck and into the yard. They sit together on the swing and Byakuya and the rest of his family sit on the deck, Ichigo knows they're there, but at least they aren't close to them anymore.

"Wow, he hasn't changed one bit has he?" Ichigo asks, and Rukia giggles.

"Actually this is the most I've had to put up with him since I left your house eleven years ago. I'd forgotten what I'd done at the wedding. I laughed when I saw myself sticking my tongue out at him at his wedding!" Rukia says, chuckling.

Ichigo is struck by how natural the conversation is coming.

"Aren't you worried for me, battling your brother?" Ichigo asks her with a smile.

"You'd better win! I want that five minutes!" Rukia says with a smile. Ichigo looks at her and thinks he probably wants it more than her.

"So, my sister made that comment about how I haven't shown interest in any other girls…" Ichigo says and trails off looking at Rukia. "What about you? Have you dated anybody?" Ichigo asks, feeling a blush come on. Rukia smiles at him.

"No, I haven't dated anybody, though I have some friends who are guys. I trained with them. I never went out with anybody as anything other than friends." Rukia says feeling a sense of happiness that he wondered that about her.

"I'm glad, otherwise I'd be jealous." Ichigo tells her.

"I wondered the same thing about you, before Yuzu said that." Rukia admits.

"There's only one girl in my town that I'd say is my friend. There's never been romantic interest for me in her though, she's like one of the guys." Ichigo says.

"What's her name?" Rukia asks.

"Tatsuki. What about your guy friends, what are their names?" Ichigo asks. Rukia gets a sad smile.

"Two of my guy friends died in tragic deaths. The only one still remaining is Renji. I met him when I was eight. I haven't seen him in awhile though. In over a year." Rukia says softly.

"Yeah, life can be hard," Ichigo says, thinking of his Mom.

"Are you looking forward to school?" Rukia asks, changing the subject.

"Not really. I might look forward to it if you were in my class though," Ichigo says, grinning at her. Rukia smiles back.

"I'd like that too," Rukia whispers, tempted to tell him her plan ahead of time. Ichigo distracts her.

"Why don't you open it." Ichigo says, gesturing to her purse where she put the box that he'd given her. Rukia blushes as she opens her purse and pulls out the box. She looks up at him quickly before glancing down and opening it. It's a sterling silver toe ring with the inscription I+R on it.

"I love it," Rukia breathes.

"It's just something I wanted to give you, to show you I'm serious about my promise." Ichigo whispers.

"Thank you!" Rukia says and she leans over and kisses him on the cheek, causing him to blush like a maniac.

"You're welcome," Ichigo says softly, as he enjoys being in her company.

"Tomorrow, I'll show you the album I found this week in Hisana's things. It's the one your mother gave me on my fourth birthday." Rukia tells him as she pulls her foot up and slips off her sandal so that she can put on her toe ring. She situates it on her right foot, second toe. She looks up at Ichigo and smiles at him.

They all head inside to watch movies after that. Ichigo and Rukia were allowed to sit next to each other, but Byakuya sat in a chair to their side, and the girls were on the floor in front of them, and Isshin was in a chair opposite of Byakuya.

When it was time to go to bed, Ichigo noticed that he and his family were in a separate wing from Rukia and her brother's room. He wishes he knew which room was hers, if he did, he might try to see her, but instead, he goes to the room he was provided with and lays down with his arms behind his head.

He wonders why Rukia is the only girl that's ever affected him in this way. He's certainly seen cute girls before, and he's sure some of his friends would think several of their classmates are as cute as Rukia, but for Ichigo, Rukia's the only girl that's ever been able to make his heart race, and leave him wanting more from her every time she parts from him.

He wonders if it's because of their past together, and whether or not his mind subconsciously wouldn't let him be interested in any girl except for the one he promised himself to. He realizes his usual scowl hasn't been seen as much around Rukia, as he falls asleep.

Rukia is in similar condition in her own bedroom. She can hardly believe how attracted she is to Ichigo. She thinks he is one of the most handsome guys she's ever laid eyes on. She wiggles her toes and then brings her right foot into the air so that she can admire her toe ring. She giggles as she thinks about her plan to move into the same town as Ichigo and attend the same school as him. She can't wait to see his face when she's introduced as a new transfer student.

She wonders how much his friends know about their agreement, how much Ichigo's shared with them about her. She had kept him secret. She wonders if they know he's at her house this very evening. She finds herself falling asleep, dearly hoping that Ichigo can beat Byakuya in their match on Sunday before they leave. She falls asleep with a smile on her face.

The next morning, as Ichigo leaves his room, a servant appears at the end of the hall and Ichigo walks towards the elderly woman. He remembers seeing her a bit last night. The servant doesn't speak to him, she merely starts walking downstairs, and like yesterday, Ichigo follows without complaint. He's let to the dining room where Byakuya, Rukia, Yuzu, and Isshin are all sitting.

"Good Morning!" Yuzu says with a smile .

"Good morning." Ichigo says, wondering if he slept for too long. Byakuya isn't even looking up at him, so Ichigo lets his eyes rest on Rukia for a second, who has a big happy smile on her face. She looks adorable. He can only see the top half of her, she's wearing white, but once again the locket is visible. Her hair looks more black and silky against the white of her clothing.

"Good morning, Ichigo." Rukia says in a sweet voice. Ichigo finds himself grinning at her.

"Good morning, Rukia." Ichigo replies as he takes his seat across from her, and next to Yuzu.

"I hope you slept well." Rukia says next, looking at him intently.

"Yes, very well. Thank you." Ichigo says back. Isshin beams.

"It seems you two have hit it off well! It doesn't seem like it's been over ten years since you last had a conversation!" Isshin smiles and Rukia smiles back at him.

"I've always worn the locket, except for when training, or when having it cleaned or repaired." Rukia says softly, touching the locket at her chest. "I've always had the combs on my dresser, and I've always combed my hair with them every night that I was at home. I never took them with me when I spent the night at a girlfriend's house for fear of them getting lost or stolen." Rukia says, still smiling.

"Ichi-ni, you gave her that locket?" Karin asks with interest.

"It was in the videos!" Isshin says defensively.

"I haven't seen them all, only the last three." Karin admits.

"Me too. Ichi-ni has seen them all, but he watched the first three alone." Yuzu says softly. Rukia looks confused.

"Did you lose your videos too?" She asks, looking at Ichigo. Ichigo finds it difficult to meet her gaze.

"I didn't want to watch them for many years after my mom died." Ichigo says in a near whisper. Rukia nods her head in understanding, even though her feelings are a bit hurt. "I actually started watching them again, the day after my birthday." Ichigo admits, feeling a bit like a jerk.

"Oh," Rukia says, for lack of a better response.

"There are many things that are difficult when a loved one dies, and sometimes, it's only much later that we realize we let a death affect us in ways that we should not have," Byakuya says, able to understand Ichigo's statement. Rukia looks at him and fights the urge to sigh.

She wonders why it's only her that tends to bring back the memories of loved dead women to the men in her life. Rukia knows that Masaki was in those videos a lot. She wonders under what circumstances his mother died, even though she knows it's inappropriate to ask such a thing at this time.

"It was also hard to watch them, not knowing what had happened to you." Ichigo tells Rukia. "I wondered if I'd ever see you again," he adds softly.

Everyone eats, and once breakfast is over, Rukia calls Ichigo and his sisters into the family room. Ichigo is finally able to see that she's wearing a white pair of shorts with her white top.

She pulls out the photo album that Masaki had given to her for her fourth birthday. Byakuya stands in the doorway, away from the kids. Isshin stands with him. Ichigo shocks Rukia by touching her arm gently before she opens the album.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings," Ichigo whispers, staring into her eyes, willing her to forgive him.

"It's okay, I'm not mad." Rukia says, gifting him with a smile before opening the album. Her body felt like it was going to explode, just from his one little touch.

They all enjoy the album, and marveled at the pictures. Afterwards, Rukia asked Ichigo if he'd like to work out with her, in order to keep their bodies fit for martial arts. Ichigo smiles at her, and Rukia leads him to a section of the house that has a door that leads out to the side.

The room they're in is a workout room, and outside there's a pool. There's a mat on the floor and Rukia points to a small dressing area.

"What's that?" Ichigo asks.

"It's a dressing room. There's a Gi in there for you to put on." Rukia goes to the other side of the room where there's another dressing area. Ichigo notices Byakuya in the doorway as well. He sighs and then heads in to change. He should warm up and get loosened up today since he's got a match tomorrow.

When he emerges from the dressing room, he finds Rukia actually changed before him. She's not wearing her locket now, probably because she doesn't wear it to work out in. She looks adorable in her white Gi, Ichigo's wearing a dark one. She leads him over to some mats and she leans over and presses play on her CD player.

"This song is called Wing-Stock, it's my favorite." Rukia tells him as she begins to stretch. Ichigo joins her and does his normal stretching as well. He's amazed at her flexibility. He's quite flexible himself, but she appears to be more so. Her movements are graceful, her strength is admirable, and he's finding it difficult to look anywhere other than at her. He decided to ignore Byakuya unless the man speaks to him first. He's enjoying the time he's spending with Rukia.

The music is beginning to make his head spin at the way it keeps changing. He can tell Rukia loves it though, because she's got a happy smile on her face as she bobs her head a little bit to the beat.

They move on to the weights. Rukia uses wrist and ankle weights and starts working on some of her punches and kicks. Ichigo does some curls and he uses the leg press, before jumping up onto a pull up bar and doing fifty pull ups. When he gets down, he finds Rukia with sparring pads on. She holds up her hands and asks him if he'd like to work out that way. Ichigo's uncomfortable throwing his usual punches anywhere near her, but saying so would be insulting to her.

He uncomfortably jerks his head yes, and he's glad she's got such thick pads on, he figures he'll focus on his speed rather than his power when doing this with her.

Rukia is amazed at his strength. She can tell he is not applying his full power and instead concentrating on his speed, but she can feel the power of his light punches, even through the pad. She'd die before she told him that though. She's sure he has no idea about how well her style holds up against other styles. If one Gracie Jiu-jitsu master hadn't made the style public to the world, it'd probably still be an undefeated style. Several of the Gracies were unhappy at the way one Gracie had made their style famous. That was admitted to her in private though, by a member of the family and she had no intentions of repeating it.

Ichigo stops after a few minutes and offers to be her punching bag. Rukia offers him a smile and pulls off the pads. Ichigo assumes his stance, and Rukia works on her power and precision. He thinks she looks adorable as she keeps up her workout, impressing him with her endurance. When she finally stops, she stands back and grins at him.

"I have a competition coming up. I would be very grateful if you would come and observe." Rukia says breathlessly. Ichigo's eyes widen.

"Where is it at?" Ichigo asks.

"America." Rukia replies softly. Ichigo's face falls.

"I don't know if I can or not. I'll have to talk to my Dad," Ichigo mumbles. Rukia smiles brightly at him.

"If it's about money, don't worry, I can fly you there, no problem! If you want, I can even sign you up. There's a both a boys and girls competition going on at the same time, and it's mixed martial arts." Rukia explains. "If you win, you get one thousand dollars in American money." Rukia says, still smiling.

"If I did win, I'd give you the money to pay you back for your generosity." Ichigo says with a smile.

"So you'll sign up?" Rukia asks smiling a huge smile now.

"When is it?" Ichigo asks before agreeing.

"August Fourth." Rukia replies. "I have to sign you up before July twentieth," she adds.

"It's before school starts too. Alright Rukia, sign me up." Ichigo says, with a firm nod of his head.

"Do you understand English?" Rukia asks him, wondering if she'll need to coach him on a few words.

"I understand a little bit of English," Ichigo says.

"Enough to know when they're saying to begin or when to stop?" Rukia says, before offering her help. "You know there's only one fight at a time, they'll switch back and forth. I'm happy to be your translator if you need it." Rukia says, smiling up at him happily. Ichigo nods his head in acceptance.

"Before you go sign me up, let's make sure it's alright with my father." Ichigo says, before hurrying into the dressing room to change. When he emerges, Rukia's not out, so he's stuck with Byakuya who hasn't said a word to him.

"Do you ever turn down a challenge?" Byakuya asks Ichigo in a soft but low voice. Ichigo stares at him surprised.

"I don't suppose I do," Ichigo says slowly, as he thinks about it. "I also don't set out to find them either." Ichigo says looking at Byakuya as if to say doesn't start pointless fights.

"I see." Byakuya says. He doesn't say anything else, and when Rukia appears from her dressing room, Ichigo immediately goes in search of his father, who he finds outside with the girls. Yuzu is reading, and relaxing in the sun, while Karin and his father are playing catch.

"Yo, Dad!" Ichigo calls out, causing his father to turn and look at him, just before Karin releases the ball for her Dad to catch.

"Ichigo-" the ball smacks him in the face and Isshin falls to the ground. Rukia gasps in worry and Ichigo lets out a frustrated sigh.

"Why did you throw the ball when he wasn't looking?" Ichigo shouts at his sister.

"You called his name as I was throwing!" Karin yells back. Rukia rushes over to Isshin's side.

"Are you alright?" Rukia asks as concern fills her eyes. Isshin looks up and grins.

"I'm fine, it'll take a lot more than that to kill me!" Isshin says smiling at Rukia.

"Dad, Rukia invited me to take part in a martial arts competition with her, but it's in America. Can I go?" Ichigo asks his dad, and holds his breath. His dad stares up at him for a minute before smiling and shaking his head yes. Rukia's face lights up happily as he nods his head yes.

"Of course, like I'd do anything to make this girl sad!" Isshin says, still smiling.

"Thank you!" Rukia says with excitement.

The rest of the day passes very quickly. Ichigo learns a few new things about Rukia. For one, she's a talented gymnast. She does a tumbling act for the Kurosaki family in a very beautiful white and purple leotard. Ichigo could feel his eyes widen to huge proportions when she appeared dressed in that. Karin and Yuzu were impressed with her tumbling abilities. Her aerials were absolutely breathtaking. Everyone clapped when she finished her routine, Ichigo had a sheepish grin as she looked at him, to see if he'd liked it.

Ichigo and his family were shown many trophies and medals that Rukia had won over the years for both martial arts and gymnastics. Dinner passed without incident and Byakuya didn't say much. He mainly observed Ichigo and Rukia, and he was actually surprised at how well they were hitting it off.

Even with his presence this entire weekend, they seemed comfortable with each other and they were definitely both attracted to one another. Rukia had done a lot of difficult tumbling moves, just to impress Ichigo, and Byakuya had noticed how she had anxiously looked for the boy's reaction.

Byakuya was waiting for his private investigators report before stepping back and allowing Rukia the freedom he knows she wants in regards to Ichigo. Legally they're engaged and don't need a chaperone. It's traditional with a Miai to have the entire family of both sides present, but Byakuya had wanted to observe to be certain Rukia was happy with the decision she'd made at the tender age of three.

Rukia found that now that another day had passed, her feelings were growing exponentially. Her heart was racing for most of the day she spent around him. She found herself admiring his handsome face, not to mention his muscular arms. She wonders what it would feel like to be inside his arms, and she fervently hopes Ichigo can beat her brother tomorrow.

Ichigo is starting to worry about things. At this rate, he'll be completely head over heels in love with her by the end of the day tomorrow. Ichigo ignores his head shouting out at him._ You already are head over heels in love, moron!_ Ichigo wonders how he'll recover from his embarrassment if he can't beat her brother.

Ichigo falls asleep worrying about the match with her brother, and Rukia falls to sleep imagining the five minutes she'll have with Ichigo if he does beat her brother.

The next day, Isshin announces that the family will leave at thee o'clock to be home at a decent hour in the evening. Rukia nods, and smiles at Ichigo.

"Want to go swimming?" She asks him. Ichigo nods, and runs up to the guest bedroom he was assigned and digs through his bag for his trunks. He nearly falls flat on his face when he gets out to the pool and sees Rukia in a bikini. It's a zebra print black and white bikini and it looks sexy as hell on her.

She is perfect. Her body is so toned and feminine, he so badly wants to touch her. Ichigo's eyebrows raise when he doesn't see her brother and so he gives her a questioning glance before asking.

"Where is your brother?" Ichigo asks. Rukia looks up, and Ichigo follows her gaze. Her brother and his family are up on a second floor patio that overlooks the pool. Ichigo lets out a frustrated sigh. At least they aren't staring down, but all they have to do is turn their head and so it doesn't feel private at all. Ichigo looks back at Rukia and gives her a look that lets her know he's annoyed with it. She dives into the pool and swims over to him, long graceful even strokes. She hangs on the wall closest to Ichigo and looks up at him.

"If you win we'll have a few minutes to ourselves." Rukia says in a matter-of-fact voice. Ichigo rolls his eyes at her.

"How good is he?" Ichigo asks her. Rukia's shoulders lift in a dainty shrug.

"Beats me." Rukia answers before splashing him. "Dive in!" She calls out. Ichigo sticks his tongue out at her and receives another splash. Ichigo gets her back by doing a canon ball of the edge of the pool. Rukia squeals and splashes him when he surfaces.

They are laughing and splashing each other when Rukia dives under water and swims right past him. She reaches out and caresses his leg as she does so, causing Ichigo to shiver at her touch. She resurfaces and shoots him a pleased grin, and the mischievous look in her eyes is enough to make him dive under, he swims between her legs and runs his hands across both of her thighs before swimming away and resurfacing. Rukia is laughing when he surfaces. They continue splashing each other quite a bit and they race each other across the pool too.

"Ichigo, time to get out, lunch time!" Yuzu yells down to him. Ichigo looks at Rukia.

"We'll be going home soon." Ichigo says with a disappointed look in his eye.

"We'll see each other again soon too." Rukia replies with a confident smile. Ichigo is glad to hear her say that, and so he hurries to change into his regular clothes for lunch.

"Prepare yourself, our match will begin at two o'clock." Byakuya says at the end of the meal. Ichigo looks at his watch. Twelve-thirty.

"I want to go stretch out a bit. Want to join me, Rukia?" Ichigo asks as he looks over at her. Rukia nods her head yes.

"I will join you today, for the obvious reason." Byakuya says. Ichigo wonders which obvious reason it is. If it's because he wants to stretch out to prepare for the match as well, or if it's to chaperone his sister.

Ichigo gets a good warm up in and is shaking his arms to loosen them up a bit when a servant appears and quietly asks Ichigo to follow her.

Ichigo follows to the back yard where a mat has been rolled out onto the lawn. Byakuya is already there in his Gi, and he looks ready for a fight. Ichigo's entire family cheers when he reaches the mat, and Ichigo glances at Rukia who's smiling and gives him a hopeful and happy look. Ichigo takes a deep breath and stands at the opposite corner of her brother.

Ichigo is able to immediately tell that Byakuya is a high level fighter. Several of his moves are defensive and offensive at the same time, and he also has some impressive combo attacks. Ichigo, however has been in many fights due to the color of his hair, and his inability to walk away when someone pesters him.

Byakuya does one move on him that makes Ichigo feel like his head will snap off, but Ichigo bounces quickly up to his feet and does a very effective chest thrusting technique which throws Byakuya off for a moment, and Ichigo uses that opening to punch Byakuya in the gut with all of his power and then does a double kick combo to knock Byakuya to the ground. Byakuya lands with a grunt and doesn't move. Isshin runs over to him and immediately sees the man is still breathing, which is a relief, but he's out like a light. Isshin throws Ichigo and Rukia an amused look.

"You knocked him out." Isshin says awkwardly. Rukia, Yuzu, and Karin all jump up and cheer, causing Ichigo to turn bright red. He watches with concern as Byakuya comes to with the sound of the girls cheering still loudly in progress.

"What happened?" Byakuya asks, feeling very stupid.

"My son knocked you out." Isshin says with a low chuckle. "It appears as though you're just fine though." Isshin adds.

Byakuya stands with as much dignity as he can muster. He gives Ichigo an icy look as he remembers the terms of the deal. If Ichigo won, he is rewarded five minutes private time with Rukia before he leaves.

"Wow Ichigo, you were amazing!" Rukia squeals, not the least concerned about Byakuya,since she thought he deserved it, considering he'd asked for the fight. "I won't be surprised if you do win that competition!" She adds with a huge smile. Ichigo grins at her and gives her a look that says, _wait until I get you alone!_


	12. Chapter 11: America

Chapter 11

_America_

Ichigo is getting really excited. Due to Rukia's busy summer schedule, he hasn't seen her since the official Miai, but tomorrow they're meeting at the airport to fly to America, and Byakuya won't be coming with them! Ichigo is surprised by that but Rukia explained that in a traditional Miai, the family is present, and he stretched it a weekend to be sure he could approve of her continuing on with their relationship. He wanted to make sure she was happy.

They will have separate rooms in America, and a female servant will stay in her room with her, but she won't have constant surveillance, and Ichigo is incredibly happy about that because the five minutes of private time that he got with her had consumed his brain for the past couple of weeks.

_flashback_

_Ichigo and Rukia watch as their family members retreat into the house and they quickly walk over to a large tree on the property and walk around the other side so that they can't be seen from the open window. Ichigo's heart had raced as he stared into her big blue eyes and slowly placed his hands on her waist. She had looked up at him with her cheeks pink, and he had thought she was the most enchanting girl he'd ever laid eyes on. He had leaned down and kissed her lips, tentatively at first, but he slowly lost abandon as he deepened the kiss. She had responded and it had made him crazy with passion. He moved his hands from her waist, to her back, to her hair, oh god, her hair felt just as silky as it looked. He had felt so right, holding her petite yet firm body in his arms. _

_And she had melted against him. She had held back nothing and offered him everything. When he had finally pulled away and stared into her eyes, he felt a lump in his chest, as it felt like he could drown in the blue of her eyes, and not mind that death one little bit. _

_It was the first time in a very long time that he was at total peace with himself. When he had held her in his arms, everything negative had disappeared and he had found himself feeling happiness, and hope. He had leaned back in to kiss her again and this time it was a controlled and gentle kiss, more of a respectful yet affectionate good bye. He had stared into her eyes, feeling like something was missing, and he was desperately trying to figure out what it was, when she made it all perfect._

"_I love you," Rukia had said. Ichigo had been shocked. He had been worrying that he was the only one feeling like his world was finally righting itself now that he had found her again._

"_I love you too," He had whispered it softly, just before Byakuya had come outside calling for her. Ichigo had grabbed her hand and kissed it. She had smiled in that special way that made his stomach flutter._

"_Thanks for winning, Ichigo!" She had said with a smile before running towards her brother._

_end flashback_

Ichigo smiles as he remembers the way his whole body had been so alive, he had felt like fireworks were exploding in his chest and like his body was on fire when he'd held her in his arms. The feel of her body against his had affected him on a shocking level. In fact everything about the girl and the way she affected him confounded him. He doubted he'd stop being shocked for some time to come.

Ichigo goes over what he packed in his suitcase and tries to figure out if he forgot anything. He had bought her a little good luck gift. He had remembered seeing her with a stuffed rabbit in the videos from the past and so he bought her a lucky rabbit's foot. He had heard it was a common custom in America to present someone a rabbit's foot for good luck and so he thought it was appropriate on more than just one level. He is pretty sure he's remembered everything he'll need for the week and two day he'll be in America, since the competition is six days long and the awards ceremony is the day after the competition ends. They're going to arrive one day in advance. They'll have one day after the competition in America too.

The competition is being held in a place called Ohio, which is strange to Ichigo, because that word in Japanese means good morning, even though it's spelled differently. Apparently it's being held in a place called Columbus. Rukia had told him on the phone that they were lucky it was being held in the northern part of America rather than the southern part, because the heat would be bad enough in the north, but intolerable in the south.

Ichigo wonders what it will be like to watch Rukia's matches. He won't like seeing her take a hit, he knows that much. He hears a knock at his door .

"Come in," Ichigo calls out. The door opens and his sisters are standing there.

"Please take pictures for us!" Yuzu says, "of the competition and of America!" She says with a smile. Ichigo grins at her as she hands him two disposable cameras.

"No problem! I'll take tons of pictures for you two," Ichigo promises with a happy smile.

"You had better win, otherwise Byakuya's reputation will look even worse among us girls." Karin says as she tries to look away like she doesn't care that her brother is leaving. Ichigo laughs.

"You're probably right. He didn't look too particularly pleased that I won in the first place." Ichigo says carefully.

"He didn't want to leave you alone with Rukia-chan!" Yuzu says, still smiling.

"What did you two do for that five minutes anyways, Ichi-ni?" Karin asks, pinning him with a knowing look that he finds disturbing on more than one level.

"It was called _private time _because it was _private_," Ichigo says, frowning at her. Why was she acting like she was so worldly all of a sudden?

"I think it's so romantic!" Yuzu exclaims. "And now you're going with your fiancé on a trip to America!" Yuzu squeals in excitement for him. Karin just keeps staring at him with that look that bothers him.

"Yeah, don't screw it up Ichi-ni." Karin says, before turning and walking away. Ichigo gulps visibly. He's been saying the same thing to himself but it still chafes him that his little sister would say that.

"Tell Rukia-chan that I said hello!" Yuzu says, still smiling before trailing after Karin. Ichigo does his best to stay awake as late as he can, like Rukia instructed to help him get used to the time change more quickly. She had warned him that she'd be doing a lot of sleeping on the plane since Columbus is thirteen hours behind us. Which is weird, to be traveling backwards in time. It would be an eighteen to nineteen hour flight, yet time would only be five or six hours ahead of the time they would have left according to Japan's time.

Ichigo feels his eyes start to close against his will at around four in the morning. He's awakened by his father who jumps and lands sitting on his son's stomach, causing Ichigo to not be able to breathe as he first wakes up.

"If you aren't dressed in fifteen minutes, we won't make it to the airport on time!" Isshin yells, causing Ichigo to look at his clock. He's supposed to be at the airport to meet her at ten in the morning, as their flight leaves at eleven. It takes fifty minutes to get to the airport, and it's already eight fifty-five. Ichigo shoves his father off of him as hard as he can as he jumps up and thanks his lucky stars he had everything ready to go the night before. He just had to dress and brush his teeth, and grab his toothbrush on the way out. He could do that in under fifteen minutes.

Isshin laughs as he hears Ichigo furiously brushing his teeth. He looks at his watch which only reads eight o'clock. He's taking his three kids out for breakfast before Ichigo leaves town and this was the only way to get his ass out of bed for it.

When Isshin pulls up to the restaurant, Ichigo starts screaming until his father shows him his watch. His father had changed the time in his room, in every room of the house and in the car. Only his wristwatch was correct. Ichigo had grumbled several swear words at his father for his trick.

Breakfast went without incident and his father managed to get him to the airport at the designated time. Rukia had arrived ten minutes early, she was used to traveling. Ichigo saw her from far away, she was wearing a light blue one piece dress with a white neck collar and white trim on the sleeves. It looked comfortable. She had warned him to dress comfortable for the plane ride. Ichigo had settled on a pair of pants and a short sleeved button down shirt. He figured that a lot of his clothes might get uncomfortable after the thirteenth hour on a plane.

Ichigo could hardly wait to get away from his dad at this point though, he shoots Rukia a look of pure relief as he got out of the car and went to the trunk to get his stuff.

"Rough ride?" Rukia asks him lightly as she tries not to giggle. Ichigo gives her a look that tells her his family exasperates him. She does giggle then. She runs to his side as he has his bent into the trunk and plants a kiss on his cheek. He looks at her surprised but then he leans over and kisses her back, quickly, but on the lips. She blushes. He quickly yanks his things out of the trunk and slams it shut.

His sisters run out of the car and hug him good bye and Ichigo looks a little bit annoyed but he still pats them on the back and tells them that he'll miss them. His dad yells good bye from the car window and finally pulls away. Ichigo watches them leave and then he looks at the woman who's been the source of his thoughts for the past few weeks.

"I missed you," Ichigo says it softly as he stares down at her. She looks up and smiles with a blush.

"I missed you too Ichigo, very much!" Rukia says happily. They make their way to their flight gate with no further problems, but when they get on the plane and are led to first class, Ichigo is shocked.

"I couldn't invite you on such a long trip without making sure you had as much comfort as possible!" Rukia say when she sees his expression.

"Rukia, this is too much." Ichigo says in shock.

"No, it's not, really. For both of us, it was only half of my weekly allowance. I have a ton of money saved in the bank, and I wanted to do this." Rukia defends her actions, and Ichigo looks in surprise at the big comfortable seats that they'll be in.

"Wow, thanks, Rukia." Ichigo says.

To his surprise the flight is far more pleasant than he expected it to be. The food is good, it's easy to rest, Rukia's beside him, and her servant is back in coach. She had told him they'd arrive in San Francisco and then take a flight to Columbus from there. Rukia spends the better half of the first plane flight sleeping. Ichigo manages to doze off every now and then, but he doesn't sleep as much as she does.

She is fully awake though for the end of the first plane flight and when they get to San Francisco, Ichigo finds that he knows far less English than he had previously thought. Rukia directs him to the gate for their next flight and Ichigo relies on her to get there. He can't read anything, he can barely understand anything, but people aren't staring at him the way they do back home. Ichigo finds that a little bit surprising until he sees some of the freaks in the airport. Next to them, Ichigo looks square.

When they finally arrive in Columbus, Ichigo is sick of sitting down in one spot. He jumps up and down the moment they claim their baggage. Rukia pulls him along and they meet her servant out by pickup. Rukia leads them to a limousine and the driver opens the door for them. Ichigo shoots Rukia a dubious look, but he gets in and enjoys the luxurious ride to the hotel.

Rukia had opted for convenience over luxury in terms of the hotel. She wanted to be close to the location of the competition. Ichigo at least felt relief that she hadn't gone over the top with everything, even though it was a decent hotel. Ichigo's room is across the hall from Rukia and her servant. They quickly get their things into their rooms and Rukia goes to ask Ichigo if he wants to take a walk. Ichigo looks thrilled with that idea, and so she takes him around Columbus for a bit.

Ichigo is surprised that people don't stare at him for his hair, but they tend to look when they hear them speaking in a foreign language.

"All of a sudden I'm not feeling as confident as I did when I agreed to come here, and I humbly accept your offer of being translator," Ichigo says, facing the facts. Rukia laughs.

"No problem!" Rukia tells him. She is actually fluent in English as well as Japanese. "Don't forget people will regularly call you by your given name rather than your family name here." Rukia reminds him. Ichigo nods. Ichigo has one of the cameras his sister had given him and takes a few photos while on his walk with Rukia.

After a long walk, they both feel a lot better. Ichigo grins at Rukia.

"Want to come back to my room?" He asks her with a grin. Rukia smiles back happily.

"Sure!" Rukia answers, suddenly breathless as she looks into his eyes. Ichigo takes her hand, and she thinks that she will never forget this moment. They walk at a quicker pace, and Ichigo squeezes her hand to let her know how much he enjoys being with her.

They make it back to the hotel very quickly at their pace. They're all alone in the elevator on the way up this time and so Ichigo leans down and kisses her passionately to let her know how much he adores her. When he pulls away and sees the happy look in her eyes, it make him feel good.

As they exit the elevator, Ichigo gets his key ready in advance. He wants to get her in as quickly as possible without running into her servant. He suspects taking her to his room might be frowned upon, so he wants to avoid a confrontation altogether. They hurry down the hall quietly and Ichigo smoothly and quickly slips the key into the lock and slips her in as quickly as he can.

Once inside with the doors closed, he flips on the light and leans down to kiss her again. Rukia laces her arms around his neck and holds on tight as he kisses her so deeply it makes her stomach tingle. He hears her let out a content little sigh, and he finally pulls away.

Rukia steps into his room and sits on his bed. Ichigo likes seeing her there. He can imagine her sitting on a bed waiting for him every night as they grow old together. He shakes that sappy thought out of his head as she lays on her back and throws her arms out.

"I'm so glad we're finally here, those long plane rides always make my legs feel like jelly." Rukia comments to him as she slowly stretches her arms above her head and lifts her waist to sufficiently stretch her back. Ichigo feels a physical reaction at her movements and he feels embarrassed about it. He quickly sits on the bed next to her and lays back so that he's laying next to her.

It should feel wrong, after all they aren't married yet, and they haven't spent a significant amount of time together since their reunion, but it feels so right it's unbelievable. Ichigo rolls over to his side to stare at her profile. She feels his eyes on her and so she turns her head and her beautiful blue eyes meet his penetrating brown eyes. Her breath catches in the back of her throat.

He is so handsome, so perfect, so masculine, and he's looking at her like she's the special one. He's the one with a brilliance she's never seen the match of. She's certain he's more sexy and talented than half the celebrities in Japan or America. And he's laying here, staring at her with desire in his eyes. It moves her.

"Ichigo?" Rukia says, still staring at him.

"Hmm?" Ichigo asks, not even blinking. He can't stop staring at her beautiful eyes. He wonders if he'll ever get used to the unique shade of blue and the clarity in which she can gaze at him. He's sure he'll find himself lost in them often in his future with her.

"I've been so happy since I've found you. It feels like what was missing in my life is finally back." Rukia whispers as she looks at his handsome face.

"You just put my feelings into words much better than I could have." Ichigo responds, letting his gaze drop to her lips, then her neck, and then her chest. Rukia feels her cheeks heat up as she watches where his eyes are looking. She wonders if he's thinking about touching her there, or undressing her. Those thoughts make her body react from instant desire, which Rukia is startled by.

He's still looking at her breasts. Rukia finds herself proud, he seems so fixated on her, and she had always been a little bit insecure about her petite physique, but Ichigo seems to find every inch of her attractive. It affects her self-esteem positively by leaps and bounds. She draws in a quick breath as his hand reaches towards her and then up to her neck. She feels him pulling the locket away from her neck as he lifts it close to his face and opens it.

He smiles at the picture inside. They were so young. Yet they knew at that age that they were right for one another. Ichigo wonders if he'll ever successfully wrap his head around that thought, when he closes the locket and drops it from his grasp. He looks back at her eyes, and he sees something there, he can't explain it, but he's pretty sure she's looking at him like she wants him to kiss her, and so he sits up quickly straddles her on the bed.

Rukia's eyes widen as the object of her desire positions himself above her. She can clearly hear her heart pounding away like there's major construction being done on her insides. She doesn't realize she's holding her breath until he lifts one of his hands and runs it through her hair, and then onto her shoulder, over her breast, down her side, and then over her hip, and down her leg. She exhales, and sucks in another deep breath when he continues. He then lets it run down over her calf and around her ankle, before her brings his hand around to the other leg and then up as he passes over her thigh, other hip, other side, other breast, and up to her shoulder. He finally touches her ear. He stares down at her his gaze concentrated and intense.

Rukia is embarrassed now. She can feel a wetness between her legs from his brief yet intimate touch that had consumed many sensitive areas on her body. She can feel her nipples have hardened, and Ichigo seems to be staring at that fact as she lays underneath him. She tries to stay as still as possible, considering the quick excited breaths she's taking due to his soft yet effective exploratory caress that he'd just dealt over her body. With her tiny breaths, her breasts rise and fall, and Ichigo is astounded at the visible reaction her body just had to him, and even more astounded over the effect it _had_ on _him_.

He closes his eyes and attempts to regain the control that he'd had when he'd gotten on top of her. She may be underneath him, but at this moment, she holds all the cards. Any order she gives him, he will follow. He will do whatever it takes to keep her happy and with him. He can do nothing else.

Rukia is relieved that Ichigo isn't doing anything at the moment, because she is close to losing all control. She did not think for one second that he could have her feeling so uninhibited in a matter of five or ten minutes. She keeps breathing, regaining as much calm as possible for having a gorgeous man above her, but still, she's managing.

Ichigo finally gets a hold of himself and when he looks down, he sees her eyes are totally different from the other times he's spent with her, she showed desire, she showed passion, but the look in her eyes right now was begging him to do something to her, anything. Ichigo feels a sense of confidence he hasn't ever felt before, he eyes the outfit she had changed into for their walk.

She had discarded the comfy white dress for a sundress, a mixture of dark and light blue swirls. He had noticed it earlier, and thought she looked beautiful in it, but now he was beginning to think she would look a million times better out of it. A memory of her in her bikini poked into his brain and so he leans down and kisses her.

Rukia knows something is in the air when he looks at her like he has a purpose. When he leans down to kiss her, she loses every bit of composure that she had just regained in the moment he had given her, and she instinctively arches her back to press her chest into his as they kiss. He lets out a groan at the close body contact and she shivers from the closeness of it. He pulls away and back from her and he reaches down and pushes her dress down until he exposes her bare breast to his view.

Rukia is frozen like a deer in headlights when he pushes her dress down and looks at her right breast like it's heaven. She takes a breath in anticipation as his mouth closes over her nipple and he starts to suck on her. His one hand is holding his body up and his other hand is on her left breast. Rukia lets out a murmur of pleasure that she feels from his mouth doing what it's doing on her nipple. She grabs at his hair and yanks on it and holds his head in place to keep him from stopping.

She's never felt anything so wonderful in her entire life. It's like her entire body is pulsating from this touch, this closeness. She never imagined that his actions would invoke this kind of raw desire to spread throughout her entire body. He finally stops and pulls the fabric back over to cover her as he sits back and breathes heavily.

"Damn Rukia, what you do to me." Ichigo pants as he tries to get control. He cannot let himself keep going, no matter how inviting and willing she seemed to be. It was obvious to him that these feelings were as new and exciting to her as they were to him. That's why he won't take advantage of her now. He respects her and he will take it slow, damn it. He can't look at her or he'll lose control.

"Why did you stop?" Rukia asks in a small voice, fearing he found some flaw in her.

"Because I wasn't lying when I said I love you." Ichigo says as he keeps looking away from her. "and I'm not trying to rush into sex with you. I think you deserve to experience all of the benefits of dating and falling in love. I'm not going to go any further tonight no matter how much my body begs me to." Ichigo explains. Rukia smiles.

"I didn't plan on going all the way." Rukia says in a firmly loud voice. "I just wanted to experience a real make out session. I've heard girls talk about them, and it's finally my turn to see what it's like to be kissed, and touched. You're the first to touch me in those ways." Rukia explains. Ichigo doesn't have the heart to explain to her that if he had kept going, they both would have gotten too caught up in it to stop at just making out. He can sense it and out of respect he had to stop it while he was ahead.

"Rukia, I have a good luck present for you for the competition." Ichigo says instead, causing Rukia to sit up.

"Another present for me? You really will be a wonderful husband," Rukia purrs as he pulls a little box out of his bag.

Rukia accepts it and opens it. Her eyes widen when she sees the soft rabbit's foot. She loves it.

"Good luck," Ichigo whispers, "kick ass." He adds that causing Rukia to giggle.

"Thanks!" Rukia says it with a grin as she squeezes the soft rabbit's foot. Ichigo leans down and kisses her softly on the cheek.

"Rukia, I need a cold shower and I need to rest for tomorrow. You should probably do the same." Ichigo says, as he removes his shirt right in front of her. Rukia jumps up.

"You want me to shower with you?" She asks it innocently, even though she knows that's not what he meant. She's pleased to see his cheeks are a lovely shade of red. She can't stop checking out his very sexy bare chest.

"I said _cold_ shower. Which it definitely could never be if you were in there with me." Ichigo says in a low voice, even though his face stays bright red.

"Alright honey, I'll leave you to your own devices for tonight." Rukia says that, having no clue just how accurate her words are. She puts her hands on his bare chest and stretches up to kiss him. He obliges by lowering his head so that she can reach him, and she then hurries out of his room and over to her own.

Ichigo lets out a low frustrated groan and then strips and enters the cold shower. Rukia makes it back into her room, without being noticed as coming from Ichigo's room. Her elderly but proper nanny/servant happened to be in the shower. Rukia looks at the clock. It's still pretty early. Only a quarter after seven. She felt lightheaded after her encounter with him. He had made her heart race, her body pulse, and her senses tingle. She sets her lucky rabbit's foot on the night stand.

She bounces on her bed as she sprawls out. She hopes that both she and Ichigo do well in the competition. She sits back up and changes into an oversized tee-shirt. As she lays there, she can't help but think, _I am absolutely totally and completely in love!_

Ichigo gets out of the shower and does a few stretches, he does fifty pushups and fifty sit ups before he flops onto the bed. He finally managed to calm down. He feels sleepy, and his last thought as he falls asleep is, _I'm happy Rukia's back in my life._

The next morning, Ichigo wakes up early, since he went to sleep so early. He feels a bit disoriented, but refreshed. He stretches fully before he goes and gets his martial arts gear for today. He's supposed to meet Rukia for breakfast and then they'll walk over to the building where the tournament is being held. He splashes his face with cold water and then changes into a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt.

After brushing his hair and his teeth, he is ready to meet Rukia. She looks cute enough to eat in a pair of Capri pants and tank top. Ichigo grins at her as she links her arm through his and takes him to a Denny's for breakfast. He feels embarrassed that he cannot read the menu, but he's glad there are pictures. He points at a meal that looks tasty and Rukia orders for him.

She gets him orange juice and coffee, since he isn't sure what he wants to drink. She orders herself a B.L.T. with no mayo and hash browns. Ichigo enjoys his American meal, and he ends up drinking the coffee over the orange juice. He finds it's very relaxing and enjoyable to share his breakfast with her. He's once again struck by how right it feels to be with her.

"Are you ready to kick ass?" Rukia asks, remembering his words to her last night, that _she_ should kick ass.

"I'm always ready." Ichigo replies without even thinking. He realizes what he said after he said it, and he gives her an apologetic look for his quick and rude sounding answer.

"Don't feel bad, I'm always ready too. Maybe it's because of my past experiences." Rukia says softly.

"There were a lot of times that I got jumped or attacked when I didn't have any plans to fight, and I learned to always be ready. Even my father likes to wake me up by attacking me. He thinks I let my guard down too much in my sleep." Ichigo says with a scowl. Rukia laughs.

"I guess I should worry for your opponent then," Rukia says in a teasing tone. Ichigo smiles at her a little before responding seriously.

"Always." His tone is definite. Rukia feels her eyes widening in pleasant surprise. It's like he hasn't changed at all from the sweet boy he was when he saved her life, and it makes her feel so emotional and happy that her chest physically hurts from the strength and intensity of it. She doesn't doubt for one second that she can depend on him with her life. Everything about him is magnificent.

"Thanks Ichigo, you don't know how happy you've made me." Rukia says, and she stares at him drinking in every detail, memorizing every line and color in his face.

"No, I should thank you for giving my life so much meaning." Ichigo says honestly. His sweet words bring tears of happiness to the corner of her eyes. They sit there staring at one another for a few minutes until Rukia glances down at her watch and realizes they have dallied too long.

"We have to hurry. Excuse me! Can we have our check please?" Rukia calls out loudly to the server. The server nods and comes over with their check a few minutes later. Rukia hurries to the cashier and pays before dragging Ichigo to the competition at a brisk pace.

She is relieved when she finds they're on time. They go to sign in, and Rukia helps Ichigo find his name on the registry. She prints his name for him, and he signs his name by writing it in Japanese. She finds her name and signs it in English cursive.

She guides him to the men's locker rooms and points out the spot they should meet after he's changed. He nods and heads into the men's room. He feels very uncomfortable as he hears people speaking the English language around him. He can only understand a few words here and there. A few people try to talk to him, but they're surprised when he speaks English with an Asian accent. He looks like he could have easily been born in America. He can at least manage a greeting and his name, but after that, he looks at them helplessly, and they look back at him just as helplessly.

He's relieved nobody tried to push him into a difficult conversation once they realized his English was limited, they'd nod with understanding and hurry to find someone to talk to who could understand what they were saying. Ichigo changes into his martial arts uniform fairly quickly. He's wearing his own dojo's emblem, not that anybody here besides Rukia can probably read it.

He heads out to meet Rukia, but she isn't out yet. He waits at the designated spot and she appears a minute later. Her hair is in a ponytail and her Gi looks freshly cleaned. She beams at him. He thinks she is the cutest competitor he's ever seen in his entire life. Her ponytail swings as she walks and he doesn't think he'll ever get over the way he reacts to her when he sees her.

"Ichigo, lets go look at the order!" Rukia says excitedly.

"They have it up already?" Ichigo asks in surprise.

"Yes, although it can be altered later if contestants don't show up." She explains breezily. She leads him over to a crowded area with a big chart with the listings. He's not able to stay next to her. He ends up right behind her as she scrutinizes the chart. She's busy looking at the chart and Ichigo is checking out the competition around him. He's completely caught off guard (which pisses him off in a major way) when a red headed guy about his age suddenly pushes him aside and wraps Rukia up in a huge hug.

"Rukia!" The guy says, and he looks obviously happy to see her. Rukia stiffens immediately.

"Renji, hi!" Rukia says it in an excited way but she quickly pulls herself from his grasp. He doesn't notice. Ichigo immediately remembers she told him she had trained with a Renji.

"So you're competing too! Are you going to cheer me on, like always? Maybe after today you can finally put my picture in that locket!" Renji says confidently with his eyes closed and a huge smile on his face. Rukia quickly glances at Ichigo whose face is red from anger. _Oh no! _


	13. Chapter 12: Competition

_Chapter 12_

_Competition_

"Renji, I'm sorry, but today I have someone else to cheer on. It's the person whose picture is already in my locket, and I'm never taking it out." Rukia says, causing Renji's mouth to drop open.

Ichigo feels himself relax a tiny bit. Renji still hasn't noticed him, even though Rukia's glanced at him nervously, several times. Ichigo gives her a questioning look. Rukia feels dread rising in her stomach. She wonders if this can be resolved without Ichigo being mad at her.

"Who?" Renji finally asks after he manages to close his mouth.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Rukia says softly, nodding her head at Ichigo, the guy Renji had shoved out of his way to hug her.

"Yo," Ichigo says menacingly. Rukia cringes, and Renji dips his head respectfully.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make such an awkward moment," Renji says, giving Rukia a sympathetic look.

"I take it he doesn't know?" Ichigo asks Rukia, completely ignoring Renji. Rukia gulps nervously.

"I haven't seen Renji in over a year. He has no clue." Rukia says in a strained voice. Ichigo nods his head slowly as he eyes her.

"I see." Ichigo says through clenched teeth. "Did he know that you've had a picture in that locket since before you met him?" Ichigo asks in a soft voice.

"No." Rukia whispers back. Ichigo nods his head. He remembers that Rukia forgave him when he admitted he had voluntarily stopped watching their tapes after his mother died, and he knows he won't hold it against her now.

Renji looks back and forth between them. He doesn't know what's going on, but he can tell Rukia's near tears. He understands Japanese, but he doesn't understand why she's upset.

"Before you catch up with him, can we find out when we go and get away from the crowd?" Ichigo asks in a normal voice. Rukia takes a deep breath and nods yes.

She quickly locates Ichigo's name. He's the fifth fight for the men. She then looks for her own name. She is in the seventh fight for the women. Renji notes that he's in the fight right after Ichigo and the three move to find a place to sit.

Rukia finds a spot that she thinks is good and motions to it as if to ask if it's okay with them. Ichigo quickly sits. Rukia quickly sits next to him, and Renji sits on her other side.

"So, what's up? I see you got a boyfriend in the time we haven't seen each other." Renji says, ready to get the scoop.

"Actually, we're engaged." Rukia says in a clear proud voice. Renji's eyes widen.

"Really?" Renji asks, staring at her, feeling his stomach drop. He's always loved her, even when they were children.

"Yes." Ichigo says, looking at the other man directly. "We've been engaged for a long time, actually." Ichigo adds. Renji's eyes widen and Rukia nods.

"It's true." Rukia says simply, and without any shame. Renji still looks shocked.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Renji asks, feeling more than hurt. Ichigo's ears perk up to hear the answer too.

"I don't know, maybe I was worried that he might change his mind about marrying me, and I didn't want to gush about it to my friends for years on end if I got rejected." Rukia answers in an irritated voice. Ichigo is satisfied with her answer.

Renji still looks dumbfounded. He looks at Ichigo and doesn't think the guy is even halfway good enough for her. Ichigo catches it immediately. He thinks Renji is damned lucky that he doesn't have to face him first.

Rukia, on the other hand is very worried about Ichigo. With Renji in this tournament, Ichigo's chances of winning are greatly reduced. Gracie Jiu-jitsu is vastly superior to karate. The extensions that karate uses naturally are gravy to an experienced Jiu-jitsu martial artist.

Luckily for them all, the tournament starts and the announcer is talking. Rukia is translating for Ichigo, and he appreciates it. He couldn't understand anything the guy had said. Apparently the most experienced and highest level fighters are in the first set of ten in the first round, to give the judges a look at the best talent first.

Ichigo watches the contestants carefully. He observes for weaknesses and strengths. Rukia is quietly reading the moves that are not allowed in the competition to Ichigo, and how he is supposed to tap out if he doesn't want to continue a fight any longer. He scoffs at her and rolls his eyes when she translates that part, but she looks at him with sad eyes. He obviously doesn't understand that he needs to know this especially if Renji gets a hold on his arms, shoulders, legs, or neck.

She has been so nervous that Ichigo's mad at her that she flinches in shock when she feels his arm come around her shoulder. He glances at her and gives her that sexy grin that makes her legs weak.

She feels like a weight has been lifted off of her shoulders, _he's not mad!_ Rukia is so happy that she leans over and kisses him on the cheek, causing him to blush at the public display of affection. She giggles.

"It's a lot more common to do that in this country," she explains with a smile. Ichigo didn't mind it, especially since Renji was still so close by.

"That's good to know," Ichigo says huskily before turning his head to kiss her earlobe for a second. Her quick indrawn gasp draws Renji's attention and Ichigo gives Rukia a sensual smile.

"I'm not going to be able to kick ass if you keep doing that…I'll be too distracted." Rukia tells him. Ichigo immediately gives her an apologetic look. She almost giggles at his concern.

"Sorry, I'll stop." Ichigo whispers in her ear, causing her to shiver from his breath warming her neck. Rukia is sure to point out to Ichigo what words signify the start and end of a round or match. Ichigo isn't threatened at all by the level of fighters he's seen up to this point, and his match is next.

Rukia follows as close as she dares to be able to shout any translations that he might need. The moment the referee notices what she's doing, he asks her to come stand behind Ichigo in the corner, outside of the ring so that she can translate without shouting. Rukia tells him his opponent's name is Matt Fletcher, and his style is Judo. Ichigo is reminded of Byakuya, and he gives Rukia a confident grin. He's seventeen years old and fifteen pounds heavier than Ichigo. He's only a little bit taller than Ichigo though.

"Over here we have Ichigo Kurosaki, age sixteen, style, karate. Level, third degree black belt, height, five feet, eight inches! Weight, one hundred thirty-four pounds!

Her new spot during Ichigo's matches is both good and bad. She's glad she can cheer up close, but she'll be able to see every hit he takes up close too, and every flash of pain that comes across his face. She cringes as the match starts and Ichigo has seen enough to understand that much.

"Come on Ichi-" Rukia starts to cheer, but Ichigo has just knocked his opponent to the ground before she can finish yelling. Matt Fletcher isn't getting up. Ichigo is announced the winner and he's just set a record in the competition, which has been running for twenty-five years, he knocked out his opponent in one point nine seconds.

Rukia's mouth hangs open in shock. She hadn't expected him to end it _that_ quickly. She can hardly believe her eyes. He's far better than she was giving him credit for. He lets the referee hold up his arm in victory and then he hops over the rope and lands gracefully next to Rukia.

"Wow!" Rukia says, smiling hugely at him.

"Don't act so surprised, it should be what you expect!" Ichigo says, feeling a blush at her blatant awe.

"You didn't defeat Ni-sama that quickly," Rukia points out.

"Your brother was a much higher level fighter than Matt Fletcher though," Ichigo explains.

"You can tell that?" Rukia asks.

"Usually. My senses have never led me wrong before." Ichigo says as they walk back over to their seats. A bunch of people yell out his name since they were impressed with his performance. He's already becoming a favorite to win. Renji scowls as he walks past them. It's his turn, so they get to sit and watch his match now. Not that Ichigo has given the other competitors much to observe in the way of his abilities.

Rukia is still in amazement over Ichigo's ability to drop that kid in the fastest amount of time in twenty-five years as they sit back down.

"It was like a movie or something, you were amazing!" Rukia says in a breathless voice. He doesn't respond and she looks at him to see he's carefully observing Renji's match which is about to start. She's glad he's paying attention. Ichigo watches and wants to roll his eyes at the way Renji stalks his opponent around the ring for a full minute before anything actually happens, but he doesn't because he doesn't want to miss anything.

Rukia feels herself breathing nervously for her friend. She still wants him to win his matches outside of Ichigo. Ichigo watches Renji use a move where he snatches his opponent's arm with his hands and steps around him to sweep out his feet. He pulls the guy's arm so far that Ichigo thinks it'll break, but his opponent taps out.

Rukia glances at Ichigo and she sees his narrowed eyes. He's fought with grapplers before. They're typically weakest on their feet, but Renji's opponent wasn't all that talented or great, so Ichigo wasn't sure whether or not it was luck or skill that Renji was able to start his submissive move while standing like that.

Renji's more advanced than any of the others he's seen. Ichigo doesn't meet his eyes as he returns to his seat. Ichigo instead focuses on Rukia.

"It's almost your turn. Don't forget what I said. Kick ass." Ichigo tells her in a soft caring voice. Rukia smiles at him and pecks his cheek.

"I'll do my best!" Rukia says with a sunny smile. Ichigo grins back. She grabs his hand and squeezes it as the women's fight before hers happens. Ichigo gives her a reassuring squeeze back, and she realizes she wants to impress him and win this next fight to show him that she's talented too. She takes deep even breaths and stands up to loosen her arms. She rolls her shoulders around and jumps up and down to loosen all of her muscles. She's surprised when Ichigo stands behind her and rubs her shoulders encouragingly. She shoots him a grateful look.

"Can I use you as a wall for a minute?" Rukia asks Ichigo, who nods without thinking twice. All of a sudden the back of her ankle is resting against his chest. She's standing on one leg and using his chest like it's a wall. He's once again reminded of how flexible she is. The women's fight takes the full three rounds, which Rukia is glad for because she thinks she probably didn't stretch enough when she woke up.

The men's fight that is in front of hers starts up and she slowly falls into the splits as she finishes her stretching. She ends it by adjusting her legs so that she's sitting and then pops up to her feet without using her hands. She stands next to Ichigo and holds his hand while they wait. When the winner is being acknowledged, Rukia walks towards the ring. Ichigo feels his heart beat faster in worry for her.

Her opponent is thirty nine pounds heavier than Rukia, and nearly a foot taller.

"And over here with have Rukia Kuchiki, age fifteen, style, Gracie Jiu-jitsu and kickboxing. Level, third degree black belt. Height, four feet, seven inches! Weight, seventy-three pounds!" The announcer shouts out, and Rukia's relieved Ichigo can't understand English. She's also glad that he hasn't made any condescending remarks in regards to her height and size.

She could hear people watching, gasping at the information they were given. Rukia is well aware that she is on the short and light side. Her opponent smirks at her, as though she's a little kid playing in a grown up's game. Everybody underestimates her. It's one of the very few benefits of being small. People constantly forget that seventy-three pounds can be very dangerous, when it's focusing its anger on you. They only usually realize it when a girl like herself does something special or when a pit bull attacks some person.

Ichigo can tell from where he stands that Rukia's opponent underestimates her. He can tell she's about to pounce, he can _feel_ it. When it comes, it's magnificent.

Rukia quickly jumps into her opponents space and kicks her out of her stance, sending her tumbling to the ground. The girl looks surprised as Rukia leaps on top of her and quickly puts her in a leg hold. The girl taps out in under thirty seconds, as she thought Rukia was about to break her leg, and Rukia never took a real hit.

Rukia smiles as the referee hold her arm up in victory, and she can hear Ichigo cheering and she looks at him. She's happy to see he looks so proud of her.

Today is the only day they'll have two fights. The other days they'll only have one. She leaves the ring and jogs into his arms. He lifts her up and hugs her.

"Nice job, you were amazing!" Ichigo praises her, and Rukia blushes.

"Thanks. Want to go look at the board and see when we're up next?" Rukia asks him excitedly. Ichigo smiles and nods at her. Renji joins them, because he wants to see who he fights next too. Ichigo's disappointed when Rukia tells him the name of his opponent, since it isn't Renji.

"I wonder how long until we're up again." Ichigo asks. From what Rukia has told him, the order has changed. This time Rukia will go first, then Ichigo, then Renji. There are still a lot of matches left before the second round starts. Rukia is the second women's match of the second round, and Ichigo is right after her as the third men's match of the second round. Renji follows both of them and he's the fifth match of the second round.

"We have plenty of time if you want to go grab some water or some food." Rukia promptly answers. Ichigo grins at her.

"I definitely want water. I'm still full from breakfast. We can go out to eat after my second match." Ichigo says softly in her ear, not wanting Renji to hear him. Rukia nods her head in agreement.

"I could go for some water too. Renji, you want me to bring you back some, and you can save our seats and keep an eye on our bags?" Rukia asks with a smile. Renji nods, but is visibly disappointed. Apparently his plan was to follow them to get water too.

Rukia leads Ichigo to the refreshment stand as Renji walks back to his seat, head down. Ichigo spots a deserted corner and he grabs Rukia up pulls her into the corner and kisses her passionately on the mouth. When he pulls away he looks at her with a puffed up arrogant look that she finds adorable.

"Congratulations on your victory. I knew you were about to get her when I saw her give you that cocky look like she'd already won." Ichigo says as he places another kiss on her temple. "It was awesome."

"If my victory was awesome, then yours was supreme! I've never seen such an amazingly quick defeat!" Rukia says, looking up at him wide eyed and with adoration. Ichigo chuckles.

"I'm glad you asked me here to do this. It's fun." Ichigo says as she drags him back on course due to the fact that she's dying of thirst.

"I'm glad your dad agreed for you to be able to come! Watching you is exciting, but being with you is even more so," Rukia says in a happy voice as she and Ichigo reach the refreshment stand.

Three bottled waters, please." Rukia says, and Ichigo marvels at how easily the English language flows off of her tongue. The worker hands her three waters.

"That'll be six bucks." The worker says. Rukia hands the man money and takes two of the waters. Ichigo grabs the third.

"Sorry about Renji, we have always been good friends, and this has to be weird for him too." Rukia says apologetically.

"I would never tell you to stop being friends with someone, I just think it's only fair that I tell you that I sense he feels more for you than just friendly feelings." Ichigo says softly. Rukia swiftly glances at him.

"I hope not. I don't look forward to hurting my friend." Rukia says in a tight voice.

"I won't tell you to stop being his friend, but I also won't tolerate him picking a fight with me," Ichigo warns her. She nods her head.

"I get it. I'll make sure he doesn't step out of line." Rukia promises.

"I'll make an extra effort on your behalf to be patient with him," Ichigo promises back. Rukia smiles. They head back to the area where Renji is sitting and waiting for them. Rukia smiles at her friend and hands him a drink.

"How much do I owe you?" Renji asks her as he grabs at his bag.

"Nothing, my treat. Congratulations on your win, that was a magnificent move." Rukia tells him.

"Thanks. My opponent wasn't much of a challenge," Renji admits, noticing that Ichigo seems to be nodding his head in agreement with Renji's statement.

"It was still great though," Rukia says, smiling at her friend.

"What about you? Still flying at your opponent, you were amazing!" Renji says enthusiastically.

"It might have been more of a challenge if she hadn't underestimated me though," Rukia replies. Ichigo nods his head again. He seems very agreeable at the moment.

"How far along are we in the first round?" Ichigo asks Rukia, who turns around to look at the scoreboard, which says what round they're on. There were one sixty-four first rounds and thirty-two second rounds the next time around. In both rounds, they were at the beginning of the set.

"We're almost halfway through the first round," Rukia says as a women's match finishes. Rukia sits on the floor, with her back up against the bench Renji's sitting on. Ichigo lays on the floor and puts his head in Rukia's lap.

"I'm going to doze off for a bit. Wake me when we're at the end of the first round so I can stretch, please." Ichigo asks her. Rukia smiles down at him and runs her fingers through his bright hair.

"Sure." She says, grinning as she continues massaging his head.

Renji feels a huge wave of jealousy course through his body as he watches this kid act so familiar with her, and she just lets him do as he pleases. It's like the Rukia he knew has been replaced with a new easy to get close to Rukia.

He's seen Rukia kick a guy in the nuts just for grabbing her shoulder before. He's seen her threaten to kick guys in the balls if they try to touch her, and even though he's her friend, there have been many times where he attempted to throw an arm around her, and she was usually dodging it and batting his arm away before it could ever get settled. Yet with this guy, she seems to initiate a lot of the touching.

She also looks at Ichigo with what could be described as an _adoring_ look, something else he's never seen from her before. How did this guy get through all of her defensive barriers? What is their story anyways? Renji snorts when the orange haired kid starts snoring. Rukia smiles up at Renji.

"Jet lag." Rukia says softly, glancing at Ichigo with a smile playing about her lips.

"So when do I get the full story?" Renji asks her quietly, but pointedly. Rukia swiftly looks back at him. Renji gives Ichigo a pointed look and crosses his arms. "We've been friends for seven years, and I curious to know how you're engaged to this guy." Renji says, looking at her, waiting intently for an answer. Rukia sighs.

"Before I agree to tell you, I want you to give me your word that you won't put down my story or try to degrade or patronize me regarding the events. I'm only going to give you the brief version, which will invariably make it more difficult for you to keep this said promise, so…are you capable of listening, respecting my decision, and not arguing with it or putting it down in any way whatsoever?" Rukia asks him, pinning him with a hard look that shows she means business.

Renji stares at her for a minute. _Is it that bad? There's something to this story that's suspicious_. He takes a deep breath and lets his curiosity win out.

"Okay. I promise." Renji agrees and waits for her to start. Rukia runs her fingers through Ichigo's hair and smiles as she summarizes her engagement.

"When I was young, before I met you, I was being chased by a pedophile. I was running through a forest until my legs couldn't move anymore. I sat down to cry, since I couldn't do anything else, when an orange haired boy appeared as if from nowhere. He took me up into his hidden tree house and saved my life. I was so scared and terrified, but he promised to protect me forever. I told him I'd make him keep his promise. Upon being returned safely to my family, we both requested an Omiai. I've been engaged to Ichigo since before I met you. His picture has always been in my locket, and the story of how he saved my life is recorded on video from our very own lips." Rukia thinks she hit on the important parts.

Renji nods and swallows. He glances down at the brainless fool sleeping on Rukia's lap before looking back at his friend who is observing him carefully.

"Why did you lie and tell me the locket was empty?" Renji asks softly.

"To keep you from looking at the boy who had my heart. When I was a girl, he was my own wonderful secret. I'd forgotten about the Omiai itself, even though I remembered promising to marry him. It's all on video, and Ichigo proposed formally and all of the proper signatures are in place." Rukia says softly.

"Are you truly happy?" Renji asks her. Rukia just smiles at him happily and nods her head yes.

"I really am. He makes me really happy. He didn't even hold it against me that I kept him a secret." Rukia says happily.

"Have you met his friends?" Renji asks her. Rukia smiles.

"No, not yet." Rukia says with a faraway look in her eyes.

"Maybe he remembered that he kept you a secret too." Renji suggests. Rukia grins.

"It's possible. It won't matter though, because I know he hasn't been messing around with girls, and that I'm the only girl he's shown an interest in." Rukia says confidently. "His little sister let that one slip." Rukia laughs happily. "It doesn't matter if they already know about me or not, because if they don't they'll learn soon enough. Ichigo and I have reconnected and are very close." Rukia adds.

"Yes, it's a whole new side to you that I've never seen before." Renji says as she continues touching Ichigo. Her hands have moved off of his hair though and she's rubbing his shoulders and chest now. Ichigo murmurs in a pleased tone before snoring some more.

"He has that effect on me. I feel completely comfortable with him, it feels so natural. Like it was meant to be." Rukia says softly as she stares at the face of the man she's completely in love with.

"You've got your mind set, huh?" Renji asks, his voice a bit sad. Rukia doesn't notice, she's too busy shaking her head yes.

"I do, I'm not ever letting him get away from me, he's…the one." Rukia finishes lamely, for lack of a better way to explain her larger than life feelings.

They watch the next few rounds in silence until a sleeping Ichigo reaches his hand up and rests it on Rukia's breast. Renji sits forward angrily when that happens. Rukia tries to pull Ichigo's hand off of her, but he starts squeezing her breast and she jumps at that intimate touch in such a public place. She successfully yanks his hand off of her and lets out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

She wakes Ichigo up as the third to last round starts for the first half. He smiles up at her.

"I've never woken up to a nicer sight." Ichigo mumbles sleepily as he stretches his arms and takes his time sitting up from her lap. Rukia smiles at him.

"My legs fell asleep. I'm going to have to stretch well too." Rukia says. Ichigo immediately looks contrite.

"It won't affect your match will it?" Ichigo asks with concern. Rukia smiles.

"I'll be fine once I stretch. I'm tough." Rukia says, and Ichigo helps her to her feet and lets her stand against him. She regains the feelings in her legs and slowly starts to stretch them out. Ichigo follows suit. Rukia starts feeling back to normal after fifteen minutes of stretching. That's good, because the second round is set to start in fifteen minutes, to give the judges a short recess to take care of necessities.

Rukia looks up at Ichigo and wonders what his second match will be like, since his first one ended before she could even finish cheering. He sees her looking at him and he leans down to plant a long kiss on her. He pulls away and smiles at her.

"That's for good luck." Ichigo whispers. Rukia smiles back.

"Thanks!" Rukia says. He rubs her shoulders as the first match of the second round begins. She takes deep breaths, trying to channel her adrenaline positively. His presence helps her a great deal. She's less nervous than usual in competition, but he's been a source of strength to her for so long, maybe it's only natural.

She notices when the first women's match of the second round starts and she pays closer attention since she's up soon. Ichigo whispers in her ear.

"Kick some ass!" He tells her as the women's fight concludes. She smiles at him. The men's fight starts, and Rukia steps away from Ichigo to jump up and down some more to completely loosen her muscles. Ichigo watches anxiously as the men's fight ends abruptly with a tap out. Rukia hurries to the ring as the winner's arm is raised. Ichigo is able to get much closer this time, since he's up next.

Once again, Rukia is the smaller of the two opponents, but her opponent is only four inches taller. She weighs thirty-five pounds more than Rukia and is older by a year. Her styles are Judo and karate. Rukia can tell her opponent is nearly as agile as she is, and so she decide to rely on a feint and then an attack.

It works out well, as the girl strikes with her fist in a forward motion, Rukia grabs her arm and spins her around over her outstretched knee, tripping her, and the girl hits the mat on her stomach with Rukia still holding her arm. Rukia begins twisting the girls arm back until she taps out with her free hand. Rukia smiles in relief as her arm is raised as the winner.

Ichigo is outside the ring, and as she steps out, she leans over and kisses him on the cheek for good luck. He smiles at her and then jumps into the ring with a dangerous kid who's style is kung fu and jiu-jitsu. The kid is fifteen pounds heavier than him and about four inches taller, and he quickly flies at Ichigo in the ring, since he had seen Ichigo's first fight. Ichigo quickly side steps his attack and then kicks the guy in the stomach. He lands on his back, but quickly gets back up.

His opponent attempts to try and circle him, but Ichigo does a spinning back kick right at the kid and he can't get out of the way because it's such a sudden attack. The kid flies onto his back again and jumps back up. He does a jumping forward kick towards Ichigo's gut, but Ichigo jumps up and does a side kick into the guy's side as he kicks. He flies onto the mat and doesn't get up right away.

Ichigo quickly gets into position as his opponent stands and raises his arms. He sees Ichigo coming and he leans forward to punch, but Ichigo side steps him one more time and aims a powerful punch into his opponent's kidney. His opponent lands and passes out, and Ichigo is declared the winner.

Ichigo jumps down, all sweaty and hugs Rukia.

"He was a tough guy." Ichigo says as he kisses her cheek. Rukia looks up at him.

"We're going to go rent some videos to watch. There are some things you should probably know." Rukia tells him in a serious voice. Ichigo looks at her and nods.

"Okay." Ichigo says, still breathing hard.

"Go ahead and change, I want to see Renji's match before we go." Rukia says, and Ichigo nods. Rukia hangs out and waits. As she suspects, Renji wins, which means Ichigo is more and more likely to face him. Rukia sighs as she heads off to change. Ichigo could use an emergency crash course in Gracie Jiu-jitsu, and she is just the girl to guide him. As they leave, she drags him into a computer store where she buys a portable DVD player.

Rukia leads Ichigo to a blockbuster, where she uses her old card to rent the old UFC videos, and only the ones that feature a master Gracie Jiu-jitsu artist. She ends up only getting four videos, but in a couple of them, the fighter she wants Ichigo to see, fights several times, and so there is more for Ichigo to see.

Rukia and Ichigo get into his room, unnoticed by her servant, and she immediately gets the video going as she starts explaining her style to Ichigo

"Kickboxing was just so that I'd have somewhere to start while standing. Gracie Jiu-jitsu is mainly about ground fighting. I noticed that in your second fight, you waited each time for your opponent to stand. That's something I would never do. Once they're on the ground, that's the Gracie Jiu-jitsu martial artist's home turf." Rukia says, looking at Ichigo to see that he's interested in what she's saying.

"Go on, I'm listening," Ichigo says, waiting for her to continue.

"Ninety-five percent of real life fights go to the ground in under ten seconds. The theory is that if you can master fighting on the ground, you are not going to be defeated." Rukia says with a bit of finality.

"Really?" Ichigo asks, looking engrossed now.

"We specialize in submissive techniques that if fully applied will make certain your opponent won't want to continue fighting." Rukia says, giving him a smile.

"Like the ones you used to finish your matches," Ichigo says, remembering how she pounced on the first girl when she fell to the ground, and forced the other girl to the ground and into tapping out.

"Yes. Choking out your opponent is usually the most effective method of ending a fight. Most people don't know how to choke properly. Give me your wrist." Rukia requests. Ichigo holds out his wrist and Rukia explains that the neck should be choked with the forearms. You grab onto the arms of your Gi, or clothing or you just grab your own arm if those aren't available to you. You apply pressure like this," Rukia demonstrates by squeezing her forearms into his wrist with an amazing amount of strength and stress. It's an amazing hold, and he can't even imagine how that would feel on his neck.

"Wow," Ichigo says, impressed.

"If you can't get the neck, then getting an arm or leg is highly effective as well. You can break their arm or leg, and that will end the fight too." Rukia explains, and Ichigo recalls how she'd forced her opponents to submit using an arm on one and the leg on the other.

"Funny, I watched you win both matches, but I didn't know much about your style." Ichigo admits. Rukia smiles at him.

"It doesn't end there. There are submission techniques that involve the hands, toes, shoulders, and of course arms, legs, and neck. You need to watch your extensions. If you leave your arm out too long for a punch, it will be grabbed. Protect your joints, and don't leave yourself open to being submitted. You can watch a master," Rukia says as she gets the first fight on the screen.

Ichigo watches avidly. There is one fight where the Gracie Jiu-jitsu competitor wins against a different type of jiu-jitsu artist who weighed nearly a hundred pounds more than him. The type of ring they use in the UFC is Gracie Jiu-jitsu friendly, as Rukia points out by the way the master of her style uses his toes to latch onto the fence rungs to get into position for his submissive technique.

Ichigo takes it all in. He notices how the master doesn't like to stay on his feet long, just like Rukia said. His objective is to get his opponent to the ground and work their joints from there. The UFC didn't have the kind of rules that the competition Rukia and Ichigo are involved in has, in fact in the earlier years there was no time limit, and it seemed that anything went in the videos she showed him.

"Brutal." Ichigo says as he watches another opponent tap out.

"The UFC has gained many rules since the earlier years. It sucks to watch it now. What's worse is that the master you were just watching actually lost a fight. It was humiliating. I feel for the guy, the way his opponent landed on him was extremely awkward and not in the normal way a person typically lands on the ground, plus his opponent was well educated on submissive techniques. It was still a disgrace though." Rukia says scrunching up her face in anger.

"He lost?" Ichigo asks.

"Yeah, I couldn't stand the guy who beat him either. This guy is supposed to be a master of the Gracie Jiu-jitsu. Defeat is unacceptable to a master. It was a hard blow to the pride of the few of us who were lucky enough to train under a Gracie." Rukia says, as she fast forwards to the next Gracie jiu-jitsu fight.

"Thanks for telling me all of this," Ichigo says, smiling at her.

"Would you like me to teach you one or two simple submissive techniques so that you don't have to wait for an opponent to stand before ending the fight?" Rukia asks him seriously. Ichigo laughs at his fiancé, she is one tough chick.

"Sure. Do you need me on the ground?" Ichigo asks hopefully. Rukia giggles.

"Yes, please." Rukia asks with a smile. Ichigo obliges and throws himself on the floor in a similar manner to the way his opponents often look after he kicks them to the ground. She laughs at his positioning, since it looks realistic. She immediately shoves a knee into his stomach, causing him to grunt in a bit of pain as she firmly grasps his arm and then uses her other leg to immobilize him completely as she starts forcing his arm at an unnatural angle.

"Stop!" Ichigo grunts. Rukia grins in satisfaction.

"Even if you don't know the techniques of my style, the general idea is that you start forcing body parts to go ways they're not supposed to, and you break them if they don't submit. In a real fight, you'd break them anyways, just to ensure the fight is ended." Rukia explains. Ichigo nods as he still can feel the sting of her pushing.

"In a real fight I would have been punching at your face when you leapt on top of me." Ichigo says. Rukia shakes her head no.

"You don't have such great leverage for punching in the position you were in, your punches would lack the finishing power you would need them to in order to stop the submissive technique from taking place. You should remember that since your strength is fighting on your feet that you should at all times be able to get to your feet without needing to use your arms. If you're stuck on the ground defending yourself, because you can't stand without your arms, then you lose in a pathetic way." Rukia says in a know-it-all tone. Ichigo gives her a hurt look.

"You think that little of me?" Ichigo asks her as he springs to his feet without using his hands. Rukia smiles.

"I didn't think you were pathetic, but I did want to know you were capable of that." Rukia admits, feeling bad for sounding like she's insulting him. He's definitely talented, he proved that. "I just want you to be prepared. Let me show you one more thing." Rukia says as she shows him a leg hold that is very effective. It's also one of Renji's favorite moves. Rukia doesn't tell him that though, she figures showing him the move is enough without giving away her long time friend's personal preferences in fighting.

"You must be worried about me," Ichigo says, studying her face. Rukia blushes.

"I can't help it," Rukia says softly. Ichigo chuckles and then leans over to give her a long lingering kiss.

"I don't mind you worrying about me, you're allowed." Ichigo says in a whisper.

He sees Rukia's huge smile, and he knows she's happy. He likes the look on her face so much that he leans in and kisses her again. She rests one hand on his leg and she uses the other to touch the front of his neck. She loves it when he initiates any kind of contact.

Rukia lets out a satisfied sigh as Ichigo's tongue is exploring her entire mouth. He doesn't pull away from her for a long time, and she can feel him running a hand through her hair. When he does pull away, he looks at her and is breathing a little bit hard.

"Damn, Rukia. Want to go get some dinner?" Ichigo asks as he scratches his head in wonder at the way she gets him to feel so much so fast. Rukia smiles and nods her head excitedly.

"Yes, I know the perfect place!"

"Lead the way," Ichigo says, smiling as she nods and grabs his hand before they leave the room.


	14. Chapter 13: Competition II

Chapter 13

_Competition II_

Ichigo shuts off the portable DVD player. He stretched this morning while watching the master of her style again, and without the distraction of Rukia, he was able to pay closer attention to the movements of the style she was so proud of. It reminds him of a boa constrictor. The Gracie Jiu-jitsu master has so much patience in some of his fights, slowly working himself into the right position to pull a move that will end the fight.

He studies the fights where the opponent was able to wriggle out of a hold. He remembers the strength in which Rukia's forearms had pressed into his wrist with her one demonstration. His lady sure was a dangerous little thing!

Ichigo realizes it's time to meet Rukia when she knocks on his door. He hurries to open it and grabs his bag which was sitting next to the door.

"Ready?" Rukia asks. Ichigo nods. They don't have time for a sit down meal. Rukia had ordered take out from the same restaurant they'd had eaten in the day before, and she'd gotten a variety of food. They head to the competition, and check out the order, then sit to eat. There was a while to go until they were up.

The talented fighters were being pushed back today, and Ichigo wasn't until the twelfth round, Renji in the thirteenth round and Rukia once again was right before Ichigo in the eleventh round. She had a sneaking suspicion that it'd be that way for as long as they were both in the competition since she was translating for him.

The introductions were now longer too. Each participant had been asked to fill out a questionnaire to turn in before the fights started and more was revealed about each fighter prior to their match to add to the suspense factor.

Rukia had helped Ichigo with his, and she had even learned a few new things about him in the process. She keeps feeling closer and closer to him and she just can't wait to actually be his wife. She notices that he is completely relaxed, and not the least bit nervous about his match.

She always gets nervous. She can't help it, her body's natural reaction to knowing she's going to be in a fight is to get nervous. She's better when she's confronted in surprise. She had been leaving the mall once, and the area she left from was actually an area with few people, and a man had tried to grab her.

She hadn't been nervous then, she'd reacted instinctively from her training and with deadly calm she had choked the guy until he was unconscious and left. She didn't care if what she'd done was illegal, he was alive and she didn't want to be anywhere in his vicinity when he woke up.

She's always fine once her match begins, too. It's only the waiting time before hand that greatly stresses her out. She tugs on Ichigo's arm, and he immediately stops paying attention to the fight to look down at her.

"How do you stay so calm?" Rukia asks, wondering if he can give her any advice.

"What?" Ichigo says, confusion spreading across his features.

"Before the match, while waiting, how do you stay so calm and relaxed?" Rukia asks, looking at him like his answer is urgent. Ichigo appears to be considering her question before he looks down at her.

"I don't think about my matches much. I usually don't think very much at all about any fight I'm in until I'm in it, since dwelling on it won't always help. It's probably because of being targeted so often for my hair. For a long time I was getting in fights every day, sometimes before school, or after, sometimes during school. There were times where I was jumped when I was with my family. If I always worried about it, I'd spend my time doing nothing but worrying. I apply the same concept to this competition." Ichigo explains to the best of his ability and Rukia looks like she understands, which means it's not much help for her.

She wouldn't be as calm as him unless she were constantly being pushed into fights. She suddenly notices that Renji has been paying close attention to what Ichigo and she were talking about.

"Any advice for me on how to calm down? I would love to borrow some of your calm." Rukia admits with a pink face and a shy smile.

"I have a suggestion," Ichigo says, and Rukia looks to meet his eyes. "You could think about something other than your match. You could always think about the way we made out the other night," Ichigo says, offering her a sexy little smile that makes her feel a bit wobbly and breathless. Renji looks outraged, but Ichigo isn't paying any attention to him.

"You think that would help me calm down?" Rukia asks with a choked laugh.

"Hmm, maybe not, but at least you won't be dwelling on your match," Ichigo says, quick to point out the benefits of such thinking. "I'll be right back." Ichigo tells her as he heads off towards the bathrooms. Renji looks at Rukia who's staring after Ichigo, love struck.

"You made out with him?" Renji repeats, a bit disturbed at the happy smile accompanied by an attractive blush that appears on her face.

"It was wonderful!" Rukia says with a dreamy look in her eyes. Renji shakes his head and carefully considers what words he should use to convey his thoughts.

"Why rush things?" Renji finally asks, holding his breath. Rukia gives him a look like he's strange and insane.

"All of my girlfriends have made out, except for me. I didn't think I was rushing, it was with the man I'm engaged to." Rukia says. "I don't think it was inappropriate. Shouldn't I know how my future husband kisses, how he touches, and how he calls my name in passion?" Rukia asks, half in demand, half in a dreamy state at the visions her own words are invoking. "Shouldn't I be able to sigh at the memory of my first intimate kiss when I'm with my friends?"

"I didn't realize, since you and I have never talked about anything like that before," Renji says in a tight voice. Rukia looks at him in surprise.

"Have you had any experiences? I didn't talk about it because I hadn't had any. Do you know what I mean when I say my heart was racing faster than ever when he held me in his arms?" Rukia asks excitedly, Renji shakes his head no.

"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell." Renji says matter-of-factly. "Remember that." Renji says with a firm nod of his head.

"He's right." Ichigo says, surprising Rukia by appearing from behind her. "It would be disrespectful to degrade my experience with you by talking about it with my friends." Ichigo says as he looks into her beautiful eyes, which look disappointed. Ichigo can't figure it out, he just said something nice to her.

"Are you saying I'm not allowed to tell my friends?" Rukia asks, looking very upset. Ichigo looks at her with surprise.

"Your girlfriends are different from my friends. My friends are perverted guys who would get some sort of sick inner satisfaction if I were to recall our private moments in vivid detail. Some might even use the information I give to propel their own twisted fantasy when they're alone. I don't want to give any guy ammunition to think about you that way." Ichigo explains. Rukia sighs in relief.

"You're right, my girlfriends aren't disgusting perverts, so it would be okay if I recounted my own experience with them.

"It's bad enough that Sado saw that picture of you with the strawberry, thankfully he's not like the others, he's a true friend, which means you're off limits." Ichigo mutters his thoughts out loud.

"How did he see it?" Rukia asks with a smile. She gives Renji a small smile, at least one of Ichigo's friends knew about her.

"He was hanging out with me when your letter arrived. My dad yanked the pictures out of my hand and started practically bawling at your image and then he proudly showed Sado the recent photos of his future daughter-in-law." Ichigo says, frowning at the memory of how his dad had snatched the pictures.

"Was your friend surprised?" Rukia asks him, pinning him with an intense stare.

"About what?" Ichigo asks her with confusion.

"At your father's words." Rukia replies, holding her breath for his answer.

"A little, because Dad was being dramatic, but Sado already knew I was engaged," Ichigo says. He notices Rukia's smile, and he isn't sure what to make of that.

"Oh," Rukia says, feeling really happy that Ichigo hadn't kept her a secret like she had with him. She regrets her past decision now, and she's glad he doesn't have to feel that way too. She looks up in surprise when Renji speaks.

"Do all of your friends know about Rukia?" Renji asks him, giving Rukia a look that says, be glad your friend is asking what you can't.

"I think all of my friends know I'm engaged, but they don't know much about the girl I'm engaged to." Ichigo says with a shrug. Rukia is surprised Ichigo answered Renji so civilly. She figured he'd rudely tell Renji it was none of his damned business. She guesses he's being like this out of respect for her friendship. Rukia looks up to see that the ninth round is starting. She'll likely be up within an hour.

"I'll be right back!" Rukia says hurrying for the bathroom. Ichigo stands there and resumes watching the matches with his arms crossed. Renji can't think of anything nice or civil to say to Ichigo and so he too, crossed his arms to watch the matches. All of a sudden a large breasted blonde haired older teenage girl appears and wraps Ichigo in a hug. She purposely pushes her well endowed chest into him.

"You are so hot, I love your hair, want to sleep with me tonight?" The girl asks in English, and Ichigo doesn't understand, though he does get that she's somehow offering him something sexual. Renji's mouth had fallen open at the scene.

Ichigo immediately shoves the unknown offending girl off of him. He doesn't bother to speak to her knowing she won't understand and so he gives her an angry look and waves her off. Rukia appears out of nowhere immediately. She angrily questions the woman in English, and suddenly Ichigo's a bit nervous. He's never seen Rukia furious, and he's shocked to say it's scary.

"That was sexual assault!" Rukia says angrily. "Why did you just touch him like that?" Rukia asks, ice dripping in her voice. The girl looks at her and backs up.

"Chill, I didn't mean anything by it." The girl quickly walks away and Ichigo tells Rukia to calm down.

"Who did she think she was, pushing her boobs all over you?" Rukia asks in a loud angry voice. Luckily it's in Japanese and most of the people in the room can't understand a word that's coming from her lips. Renji turns away to hide his smile at Rukia's choice of words.

"Rukia!" Ichigo says sharply, drawing her attention. She looks at him and he leans down and kisses her. She blushes a bit at his grin. "I was disgusted by her. I've never been into that type. You're the only one that's ever turned me on." Ichigo smiles at her and Rukia feels her anger melt completely away. The ninth round is halfway finished and Rukia looks at Ichigo with a new calm.

"Want to stretch with me?" Rukia asks Ichigo and he happily obliges. The time goes by quickly as they slowly stretch and prepare for their matches.

Ichigo gives her a good luck kiss as the eleventh round men's match is ending. Rukia walks over to the ring, since the victory moment is longer in these rounds. The winner is asked a couple of questions. Rukia is at the ring when it's her turn to climb in. Her opponent is huge.

Her name is Danielle Miles, and she is a second degree black belt in Chinese Kempo. Rukia has seen her fight. She knows this girl is going to be tough.

Instead of dodging, Rukia purposely takes a hit in the stomach to get a low kick in and knock the girl to the ground. Rukia is immediately on top of her and she is bending the girl's wrist at an unnatural angle to get the tap out. With that, she wins, and has her arm raised in victory. She is asked how many years she trained and if she's planning on taking up any new styles.

Rukia answers that she's been training since she was a young child and that she plans on learning karate next, from a very talented karate martial artist. She hops down and kisses Ichigo quickly for luck. He grins and hops up into the ring. His stomach is finally settling down from seeing Rukia take a hit.

"Ichigo, he's a fourth level black belt in karate!" Rukia calls out anxiously. Ichigo grins at that information. He's seen this guy fight before. He was impressive, but Ichigo wasn't at all afraid of him. The guy jumps eight feet across the ring and aims a kick right at Ichigo's stomach, but Ichigo flips up into the air over him and lands behind him. He uses this opportunity to deliver a powerful kidney shot. The kid stands, since he's able to continue, but he's not nearly as feisty as he was a minute ago.

Ichigo sees the kick coming for him and he punches his opponent in the side as he flies right past him. He lands a bit off balance and Ichigo does a flying side kick to his opponent's other kidney. The guy can't even stand now.

Rukia's jumping excitedly. Ichigo's very talented to be able to beat a person who's at a higher level in his own style. The announcer motions for Rukia to come up and translate for Ichigo and for the crowd. The moment Rukia is next to him, Ichigo throws a sweaty arm around her and throws her a grin. Rukia smiles back.

"So we'd like to know what brought a Japanese kid out here for our competition!" The announcer says to Rukia, and she blushes. She quickly translates the question for Ichigo, out of respect and he just looks at her like she should go ahead and answer. She looks at the announcer.

"I brought him out here since I was participating. I wanted him to join me." Rukia answers in a calm voice.

The announcer chuckles and looks at the two.

"We've seen how friendly you two are, what's the story?" The announcer asks. Once again, Rukia translates for Ichigo out of respect and once again he nods at her to give the answer.

"We are betrothed." Rukia answers the announcer. The announcer looks shocked.

"Such a young couple, and both so talented! We wish the best of luck to you both!" The announcer says as Rukia and Ichigo leave the ring.

"You were amazing! I love watching you in action!" Rukia says with an excited laugh as they head over to their bags.

"I don't think he was really a fourth level black belt." Ichigo says with a smirk.

"He beat two other people in order to match up against you today, though." Rukia reminds him. Ichigo smiles at her.

"He's out now." Ichigo says as they sit. "You want to wait and watch Renji again, don't you?" Ichigo asks, figuring she'll say yes. He's not surprised at her answer.

"Yes, please. If you want to change and come back out, or you can wait until I go to do the same." Rukia says, looking up at Ichigo hopefully.

"I'll stay with you." Ichigo says softly. Rukia grins at him.

"You really are the best," Rukia tells him happily.

"I'm glad you think so." Ichigo says, giving her a wink, which makes her heart jump triple time. She goes to sit down but he stops her and pulls her in front of him as he starts rubbing her shoulders. She sighs in pleasure.

"That feels nice," Rukia says, enjoying the relaxing feeling.

"How's your stomach?" Ichigo asks in a low voice.

"I saw it coming, I tightened it up, I'm okay." Rukia tells him, glad that he's as concerned for her as she is for him. He rubs her shoulders until it's Renji's match.

It takes Renji until the second round to find an opening in which to work a submissive technique, and it takes him a good minute to get into the correct position to actually complete the move to force his opponent to tap out. It's a strange angle but it looks like Renji has the right arm of his opponent, completely stretched out and he's twisting it back into the shoulder at a painful looking angle.

Rukia cheers for him as the referee raises his arm in victory, and Renji is asked where he grew up, and if he planned on taking up any new styles besides Gracie Jiu-jitsu. Ichigo is dragging Rukia to the dressing room area at this point and he kisses the top of her head before heading into the men's changing room.

They are informed that the next day starts quite a bit later. It starts at twelve o'clock. Since there will only be eight rounds in all the next day, the amount of time spent in the competition each day has lessened drastically.

Ichigo sees Renji out of the corner of his eyes as he enters the dressing room, but Ichigo still doesn't really like the guy very much. He hasn't forgotten how Renji looked at him when Rukia announced they were engaged. Renji had looked at Ichigo like there was no way he was good enough for Rukia. Ichigo had seen it and recognized it instantly, and he was going to stay reserved with the guy. As far as Ichigo's concerned, Renji's interest in Rukia isn't of a platonic nature. Ichigo decides he'll shower at the hotel. He quickly changes and waits outside of the dressing area for Rukia to appear.

After Ichigo gets back to the hotel and showers and changes, he's ready to go for a nice relaxing walk with Rukia. He knocks on her door since for once, she isn't waiting for him, and she appears in a pale blue sun dress. She looks like a beautiful life sized doll.

"Wow, you look amazing," Ichigo says with his eyes a little wider at the sight of her looking so adorable.

"Thanks!" Rukia says with a grin. She takes hold of his hand and they take a walk together. Once again, Ichigo is armed with the camera his sister had given him before he went out of town.

"I'm going to miss spending time with you like this." Ichigo tells her, as he caresses the palm of her hand with his finger. Rukia decides to change the subject.

"Your sisters want pictures, why don't I hire us a taxi and we'll go for a long drive!" Rukia exclaims. Ichigo nods his head and Rukia pulls out a cell phone and makes the arrangements.

"I didn't know you had a cell phone that worked here." Ichigo says with surprise.

"My servant picked me up a prepaid phone for the week we're here. She programmed the number for the taxi in here too. Lets hurry back to the hotel, that's where I told them to pick us up at." Rukia says, and they rush back to the hotel. They arrive just as their taxi is about to leave.

Once they're driving, Rukia asks the driver to go to Cleveland. She takes him around downtown Cleveland and then she takes him to Edgewater Park. He gets some pictures of downtown Cleveland and of Lake Erie. They head back to Columbus after they linger in the Cleveland area for as long as they dare.

When they're driving back, it starts to get dark on the drive. Rukia rests her hand on Ichigo's leg and leans up into his shoulder. They cuddle the rest of the way back. When they're dropped off at the hotel, Ichigo watches Rukia enter her own room before he enters his own.

Ichigo thinks about the differences he's noticed between this country and his own. The kids his age here seem different. The fact that people get married more than once in this country seems weird to him too. His father hasn't dated anybody at all since the death of his mother.

He remembered how his jaw had dropped open in the hotel lobby when Rukia heard a woman loudly telling her friend that her fifth husband was the only one she thought she could make it last with. Rukia had translated what the woman had said after Ichigo looked at her weirdly for gasping. Multiple marriages would be scandalous in Japan. Rukia had always disliked the casual attitudes in regards to marriage in America.

In some ways Ichigo could respect it, individuality and uniqueness seemed to be praised here and abhorred in Japan. If you're naturally different, you're a lot more accepted here than in Japan. Rukia wants him to meet her at nine-thirty for breakfast and she said she wanted to take him somewhere before the competition. Ichigo does his sit ups and push ups before laying in bed to rest for the next day.

J J J J

Rukia wakes up at eight thirty and fills the tub up with hot water. She stretches as the tub fills with water, and then she gets in and lets the warm water soothe her muscles. She wonders what it would be like if Ichigo were in the tub with her.

She smiles at that thought as she feels little tingles shooting throughout her body. She thinks again about the way her body felt when he was touching her, especially the other night when he'd gone so far as to expose her breast and then put his mouth over it. It had been a feeling of pleasure unlike anything she had ever experienced before. She hadn't wanted him to stop.

When Rukia gets out of her bath, she changes into casual clothes for the morning activities she has planned with Ichigo. She had decided on a red tank top with Capri style jeans. She looks at the clock. She had spent longer in the tub than she had initially realized, just because she'd been daydreaming about Ichigo. It's already almost nine-thirty. She throws on her sandals and walks across the hall and knocks on Ichigo's door, even though she's a few minutes early.

Ichigo opens the door shirtless, and leaves it open as he grabs a shirt off of his bed and slips it on.

"I'm almost ready, let me just get my bag and my shoes." Ichigo mutters as he picks up his bag. Rukia was smiling at being greeted by a shirtless Ichigo. She congratulates herself on arriving a couple of minutes too early.

"No rush, I'm a couple of minutes early," Rukia chirps as she watches him slip on his shoes. He looks at her quickly and then walks over to kiss her on the lips.

"What has you so happy?" Ichigo asks her. Rukia grins.

"I'm just looking forward to our morning. Bring your camera!" Rukia answers with a happy little grin.

"I'm ready to go," Ichigo tells her as he grabs a camera off t he nightstand. They head out and Rukia takes Ichigo to breakfast. She takes him to a donut shop. She orders them a few donuts and when they finish those she excitedly drags him into a gun store.

Ichigo is surprised. He's never been in the presence of so many guns. He's only seen police officers with them outside of the movies.

"Amazing isn't it?" Rukia asks, looking at his dumbfounded expression.

"It's unbelievable." Ichigo responds as he is amazed by how apparently easy it is in this country to get your hands on a gun. Hand guns are illegal in Japan. They walk around and Ichigo asks Rukia to ask worker behind the counter to allow Ichigo to hold one. Rukia quickly asks the guy if he can hold an unloaded gun, just to see what it's like, since he's from Japan, and has never seen a gun up close. The guy smiles and nods as he pulls out a small handgun out of the showcase and hands it to Ichigo.

Ichigo is surprised at the weight of it in his hand. He never ever thought he'd hold one. He has Rukia take a picture of him holding the gun, and they take pictures of the shop for his family.

When they leave, Ichigo asks Rukia if there's anywhere he can get souvenirs for his family. Rukia grins and tells him the airport is probably better for stuff like that, but then she takes him to Easton Town Center, where Ichigo is able to get plenty of beautiful pictures, it's a gorgeous shopping center. They even find a teenage girl who smilingly agrees to take their picture together in front of the mall.

Rukia ends up finding some America themed headbands, and she thinks his sisters might like them, and so she picks them up. They don't buy much though, they mainly look around until it was time to head to the competition. Rukia loves it because it's an actual date. She's a bit nervous about the competition though.

When they get there, they find out she's in the second round and he's in the third. He's not fighting Renji either. Rukia breathes a sigh of relief at that fact and they both go to quickly change. When they get out, they both immediately start stretching. Renji appears. She had noticed he was in the eighth round, and she wasn't sure Ichigo would want to hang around that long after they left. She decides to ask him.

"Do you mind staying until the end?" She asks him. Ichigo glances at her.

"I wouldn't mind getting a look at all the competition." Ichigo replies, knowing she wants to see Renji, but he doesn't lie. He does want to study the others since the amount of people has dropped significantly. Rukia gives him a tiny smile as she admires his good looks.

"Thanks." Rukia says to him, and they watch as the first match starts. Renji seems pretty quiet today. He too is avidly watching each match. Ichigo notices that Rukia shakes her head a lot at the way the other fighters handle certain situations. Ichigo smothers a smirk when he hears her snort a few times. He finally asks her when he feels he's going to start laughing.

"Something bothering you?" He asks with a small smile. He grins fully when he sees her eyes, flashing with aggravation.

"So many openings to end the fight, and people don't take them. I can't help but shake my head." She says, still shaking her head in dismay. Renji finally speaks up.

"I know what you mean." Renji looks over at Rukia, with a smile. "Try not to let it get to you though, just stand with the knowledge that you're smarter than that."

"Did you snort like that when I was fighting?" Ichigo asks her, raising an eyebrow. Rukia's eyes widen.

"No, of course not! You broke the record didn't you? I think you're amazing!" Rukia replies. Ichigo shakes his head like he doesn't believe her.

"I admit your style is impressive, but the fact is that other styles have their benefits too," Ichigo says in defense of karate.

"I agree, that's why I'm not limiting myself to only one style," Rukia responds. Ichigo can't respond to that and so he smiles at her.

"You win," Ichigo conceded. Rukia grins.

"As long as it's your only defeat of the day, then I don't mind." She says winking.

"Roger that. No more defeats today." Ichigo says like a robot. Rukia giggles.

"So long as you understand," she says in a superior voice. Ichigo rolls his eyes.

"Don't push it," he says. "I already told you, that you should worry for my opponents, didn't I?" He asks her. Rukia looks up at him. He's back to watching the fights. Today is the last day that the men will go first. Starting tomorrow the women will precede the men. The fight between the men end, and the women go up. Rukia watches the women carefully, but the fight is ended unexpectedly quickly when the one woman uses a throw move in the first minute and when she throws her opponent, she lands with the wind knocked out of her. She is unable to get up or breathe and taps out as the other woman grabs her arm and bends it. She's apparently versed in Jiu-jitsu and Judo. Rukia thinks she's talented.

In the next men's fight, Ichigo watches as it ends in the first round, which means it's Rukia's turn. Ichigo had been surprised, the move hadn't been much, but it had left the opponent tapping out. The winner had the loser's arm in a strange grip. Ichigo hadn't been able to make much sense of the move. He quickly plants a kiss on her cheek.

"Good luck," Ichigo tells her. She shoots him a grin and heads over to the ring.

Her opponent is Robyn Holly, five foot five and is trained in kickboxing and in karate. She weighs one hundred and thirty pounds, which is almost double Rukia's weight. Robyn decides to use her weight to her advantage since she has good speed to accompany it. She makes the mistake of kicking Rukia to the ground and then stepping back. Rukia dives at Robyn's ankles, bringing her down, instantly from the surprise. Rukia uses her legs to entwine her one leg and she starts forcing the Robyn's one leg to the side with both of her legs. Robyn taps out as she winces in pain. Ichigo is at the ring smiling at her when she gets down. She returns his favor of a good luck kiss and he hops into the ring.

Rukia calls out to him that his opponent is versed in Kung Fu, and Ichigo remembers seeing this kid fight. The kid is actually pretty good. Ichigo ends up being on the defense for the first minute, due to the fact that his typical moves to defend his hair would be against the rules in this competition. He finally gets a chance and he does a thrust into the guy's chest, knocking him off balance. Ichigo lays such a hard forward kick on him that the guy lands on the ground unconscious. Ichigo is declared the winner.

He hops out of the ring and joins Rukia as they walk over to Renji.

"Too many moves are against the rules," Ichigo says in a disappointed voice. "My best moves are restricted due to all the rules."

"You're too used to fighting to defend yourself in real life, I hope you don't mess up and disqualify yourself doing something illegal against a tougher opponent." Rukia says, worrying.

"Don't worry, I've got it under control," Ichigo says confidently. "What about you? Are you okay?" Ichigo asks, remembering she got kicked to the ground. Rukia shoots him a grin.

"Of course!" Rukia says with a smile. They watch the matches and patiently wait for Renji's turn. When he's finally up, he ends up winning by doing the submissive move that Rukia had shown Ichigo with his opponent's arm. As Renji is leaving the ring, he invites them out to dinner, and Ichigo nods at Rukia when she looks at him questioningly.

They all end up going out to eat at an Italian restaurant and Renji tells them since he invited them out, he'll pay.

Ichigo doesn't say much for most of the dinner, it's mostly two old friends catching up. Renji does ask where in Japan Ichigo lives, and Ichigo answers him. Rukia tries to steer the conversation away from Ichigo's hometown, because she doesn't want to divulge her secret just yet.

Dinner ends without incident and Rukia thanks Renji for dinner. Renji heads to his hotel which is different from theirs, and Rukia gives Ichigo a charming smile.

"So do you mind if we walk back rather than calling for a ride? I think it's beautiful and I'd like to enjoy it." She tells him. Ichigo agrees happily, except for the fact that a group of thugs surrounds them when they're passing by an alley. There are eight of them.

"Give us your money and you might not get hurt." One thug says, causing Ichigo to attack instantly.

He doesn't understand what they're saying but he feels like they were just threatened. Rukia's eyes widen as he seemingly flies into the air and wraps his legs around one guy's neck before flipping over and sending the guy flying into the air before he lands to the ground with a sickening thud. Ichigo is already attacking the others before their jaws can be lifted off of the ground.

Ichigo rams the top part hard of his wrist into one guy's chin, causing his eyes to roll back into his head. He doesn't fall and so Ichigo does a roundhouse kick into the guy's chin sending him flying as well. The other guys all start rushing Ichigo but he refuses to go down. Rukia freaks out when she sees one guy pull out a knife and before she can even think about it, she jumps onto his back and starts choking him. This creates a distraction for Ichigo who right hooks one guy in the temple and then knees another guy right in the nuts. Two guys rush him at the same time and Ichigo dodges one and knees the other one in his face. The guy falls instantly. The guy he dodged, he turns on and Ichigo suddenly bends over and grabs the guy's shoelaces. He yanks up and sends the other guy flying into the cement, head first. He doesn't move once he lands on the ground.

Rukia chokes the man she jumped onto into unconsciousness. As he crumbles, one of the other guys noticed it and grabs her by her hair. Ichigo sees this and he doesn't even think.

Rukia isn't sure what happened, but one second, her hair was being yanked viciously on and then the guy who had a hold on her started screaming in pain. Rukia fell away and quickly stood and turned to see what was going on, and she sees the man has blood dripping from his face, and Ichigo's knuckles are bloody.

"My nose! You broke my nose!" The guy screams and Ichigo shows no mercy. He kicks the guy in his broken nose. Ichigo glances around at the thugs who litter the streets and he calmly pulls Rukia away. She's just wide eyed. She never imagined he had techniques like the ones she just saw him using.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo whispers and looks down at her with anger in his eyes.

"Yeah, he only yanked on my hair a little, I'm fine." Rukia says quietly. "What about you? There's blood on your knuckles." Rukia points out.

"It's not mine." Ichigo says shortly. He's pissed that anybody laid their hands on her in his presence. He quickly walks her to her room and then goes to his own room to sulk. He falls asleep with a scowl on his face.

Rukia is in a stupor after seeing just how talented a fighter he actually is. She never even imagined a move where you land on your opponent's shoulders and then send them flying as you do a handspring to your feet. She feels her heart race in excitement from being in that fight with him. It had seemed so natural to her, to jump in and help him. She had done it without thinking, and she was proud of herself. She falls asleep with a smile on her face.

J J J J

Ichigo wakes up feeling like crap. He hadn't slept well due to the incident the night before. He decides to take out his frustration on his opponent today. There's only four rounds today. He showers and furiously scrubs at his body as he remembers the way Rukia had her hair pulled by the disgusting thug as she had choked one of his companions unconscious. He had to hand it to her, she hadn't let go of her hold on the guy she'd attacked until he was unconscious.

He doesn't know how badly he hurt them, and he doesn't really care. He has no marks to show for his fight the night before, which is surprising considering the amount of thugs who had approached them. He figures they needed a lot since they were all weak and didn't know how to fight.

He stretches out before going and knocking on Rukia's door to see how she's feeling. She answers looking chipper and happy. Ichigo's glad for that much at least. They have a long leisurely breakfast before going to the tournament.

When they get there, they find out that Ichigo and Rukia are both in the first round. Renji follows them in the second round. Ichigo's pleased because he's in the mood to beat the tar out of somebody. He doesn't forget to kiss Rukia good luck.

Rukia's opponent is versed in Karate, and jiu-jitsu, and Rukia has the most difficult time with her. The fight lasts the full three rounds until the end when Rukia spots a tiny opening and takes it, she ends up submitting the girl by pushing like she's going to dislocate the shoulder. Rukia barely gets her to submit in time. Ichigo breathes a sigh of relief and waits for his turn.

His opponent is a second level black belt in Taekwondo and he was impressively fast. Ichigo is aware that the style focuses on kicking far more than striking, and he lets his anger take over for his power when he meets the guy in mid air and kicks him in the stomach so hard he falls back and lands on his back, unable to breathe. Ichigo is pretty good at kicking the wind out of people. Rukia looks thrilled as he comes out of the ring.

"After Renji's fight, want to go back to my room and I'll give you a back rub?" Ichigo asks, concerned since she was in the ring a long time. Rukia grins at him and nods appreciatively.

Renji wins, as expected by Rukia. Ichigo didn't see it this time since he wanted some water and had wandered off to go get it. Ichigo takes Rukia back to his room and he tells her to wait while he showers. She feels her body temperature rise a few degrees when he steps out of the bathroom in a pair of shorts and no shirt. He's got the hotel brand lotion in his hand. He grins at her when he sees her staring at his chest. He walks over and sits next to her. She swallows loudly.

"Are you nervous?" Ichigo asks with a bit of surprise reaching his voice. Rukia looks into his eyes and she shakes her head no.

"I'm excited." Rukia admits sheepishly. Ichigo leans over and kisses her ear.

"I'm just looking out for you. That was a long fight you were in and I want to make sure you're ready for tomorrow." Ichigo whispers. Rukia nods. "Lay down on your stomach." Ichigo directs her and Rukia listens. Ichigo straddles her and sits on her rear end as he pulls the bottom of her tank top upward.

Rukia wasn't expecting this, but she obligingly puts her arms above her head so that he can pull off her tank top. He then unsnaps her bra and pulls the straps and flaps out of his way. He squeezes some lotion onto his hands and starts rubbing her back in a firm circular motion, making long strokes up and down. He changes his hand position so that his hands are flat on her back and her turns his hands while applying pressure in a window wiper motion. After he massages her back like that, he uses his fists to concentrate on her lower back. She lets out moans of pleasure from his very relaxing back rub. She feels him using his fingers to make long strokes up the center of her back and then he hooks around her upper back.

He patiently rubs her back for twenty minutes before he leans down and kisses her neck. He nudges her to turn over and when she does, he pulls her bra completely off and admires what she looks like half naked. He leans down and begins kissing her. She pulls him close so that their bare chests touch. He keeps reminding himself that he can't take it too far yet, but he wanted to make her happy.

He knew she had been looking forward to the next time they'd make out. He had been looking forward to it more, he's just been concerned that she'll drive him past his limits of control. He starts kissing her more and more passionately and then he once again moves down to her breasts. Rukia seems to really like it when he concentrates there. He experiments by using his tongue in different ways and different pressures and gauges from her reactions on how well she likes each type.

She seems to respond most excitedly to a firm circular motion around her nipple and so he indulges her by going at it for quite awhile. He can feel how turned on he is and she's making sweet little noises in her throat that are so close to driving him over the edge. He's ready to rip off his shorts. He knows he's going to have to stop it in the next minute but then she makes a move.

He moves up to kiss her and she uses the opportunity to grab his erection over his shorts and she squeezes with her hand, causing Ichigo to emit a loud excited moan before he jumps off of her.

"We have to stop now." Ichigo pants as he shuts his eyes from the way his body is shouting its disagreement.

This time, Rukia had felt that things were going further than she'd intended as well, and she quickly locates her bra and pulls it on. She then pulls her tank top from off of the pillow and pulls that on. Ichigo had opened his eyes before she'd snapped her bra back on and had felt another wave of desire wash over his body at the sight of her beautiful breasts. He remembered clearly the way they felt so pleasant in his mouth, in his hands, and he crawls back into the bathroom and turns on the water before sticking his head back out.

"Rukia, I'm going to shower." He says as he shuts the door and sheds his clothes. He gets in the cold shower and waits for the desire in his body to fade away. The cold water helps a great deal. He finally feels like he's recovered enough to get out, and when he does, he's surprised to find Rukia still sitting on his bed.

"Are you okay?" She asks him, looking up at his wet hair.

"Yeah. Sorry about that." Ichigo says, embarrassed. Rukia shakes her head and offers him a beautiful smile, that makes him feel good.

"I'm glad to know I have that effect on you, considering you have the same type of effect on me." Rukia says happily. "I'm glad you're okay with how I turned out."

"Seriously? You're amazing! I'm the lucky one." Ichigo whispers as he sits next to her again. He kisses her with all of his emotions filling the kiss.

"Thank you for saying so," Rukia says breathlessly as she looks into his eyes.

When they both go to their own beds to sleep, that night, they're both smiling.


	15. Chapter 14: Winner

Chapter 14

_The Winner_

Rukia looks at the order of the matches and realizes that yet again, Ichigo and Renji will not be up against each other. There are only two rounds today and the final round is tomorrow. That means if they both win, they compete tomorrow. Rukia looks nervously at Ichigo.

"You're doing so great!" She tells him, impressed. He raises an eyebrow.

"You're here too." He answers. Rukia grins. Since the women start the rounds, Rukia and Ichigo end up in the second round, and Renji is before them in the first round. The women are almost evenly matched and the match goes the full three rounds without a knockout or tap out. The judges end up having to go to decision, they picked the more aggressive of the two. Ichigo kisses Rukia for good luck.

Renji goes next and he wins his match in the first round. He gives Rukia a good luck high five after he hops out of the ring. She gets in and her opponent once again is a lot larger than her. Five foot three and one hundred and twenty pounds. She was a black belt in both Aikido and Judo. Rukia saw an opening very early though, and submitted her in under two minutes. Rukia's arm is raised as she has made it to the final round, like Renji.

Ichigo hops in behind her and his opponent is a black belt in Kempo. He has a very broad knowledge of the art, and must not have stayed under any one master for too long to only be considered a black belt. Ichigo ends up punching him in the gut and then he lands on top of the guy and wraps his arm up in his hands. He starts pushing the man's arm the way it's not supposed to go, and his opponent taps out. When Ichigo has his arm raised, he notices Rukia looks extra proud.

"You did a wonderful job!" She squeals. Ichigo grins at her.

"In a real fight I'd have just broken his nose, but I couldn't do that here. Your arm bending technique is pretty useful," Ichigo admits as he kisses her. Rukia then realizes this means Renji and Ichigo will face each other for the win. Rukia is torn. She knows Ichigo wants to win for his pride. She also knows Renji wants to win for both the pride and the money. Second place gets no prize. Only the winners win. Also, there are no decisions for winner. The winner has to win by knock out, tap out, or by making the opponent unable to continue, like knocking the wind out of them. It has to be a solid win.

Rukia and Ichigo have a lot more time today to do something, and since they're staying one extra day after the awards ceremony, she's decided to surprise him by taking him to Cedar Point, the best roller coaster amusement park in the world. In her opinion it should be one of the wonders of the world. It's the perfect place to have a fun date with Ichigo since she won't probably see him again until the first day of school.

Rukia decides to take him to the Columbus Zoo today. They go and have a fantastic time. Ichigo enjoys letting Rukia translate for him now. It gives him an excuse to stare at her as she talks, not that he needs one. They particularly enjoy the aquarium. They leave later and she takes him out to dinner. Afterwards, Ichigo walks her to her door.

He's not sure he can handle a repeat of the night before. He always ends up in pain when he has to force himself to stop touching her. It's so strange, every time he touches her it feels so right, and he never thought touching any girl would invoke that kind of feeling.

He wants to take her back to his room though, and he can tell she wants him to as well, but he looks at her with apology in his eyes.

"I have to prepare for tomorrow." Ichigo says lamely, knowing she probably knows he's making an excuse. Her eyes look let down.

"If you're sure," Rukia says hesitantly, looking up at him, willing him to change his mind.

"If you want to come over in twenty minutes or so, I'd like to take a shower," Ichigo says, relenting.

"I'll wait for you in your room while you shower. It will be easier not to have to explain why I'm leaving in twenty minutes if I just wait for you." Rukia argues. Ichigo sighs and nods his head.

"Okay." Ichigo pulls her across the hall to his own room. His heart is already racing uncontrollably. He immediately swings into the bathroom the moment he walks in and turns on the water. He heads back out in the room to grab his change of clothing for after his shower. As he watches her lay on his bed and flip on the TV, he realizes he's going to have to take care of things while he's in the shower, otherwise he'll jump her right there on the bed when he comes out.

Ichigo hurries into the bathroom and stands in the shower while he thinks about how wonderful it would be to make love to the girl who's right in the next room, on his bed. He pictures her stripping for him and waiting for him naked, and he imagines what it would be like to have her naked body draped over his own. He remembers the feel of having her nipple in his mouth and he thinks of what it would be like to bury himself into her.

He is able to finish quicker than he had anticipated. Just imagining entering her was enough to bring him to an orgasm. He scrubs his body and takes some deep breaths as he lets the hot water spray over his body and slowly relaxes.

By the time he's exiting the bathroom to hang out with his beautiful fiancé, he's completely relaxed and calm. He offers her a lazy grin as he exits in a pair of pants and tee-shirt. He's still rubbing his hair out with a towel. She smiles back at him.

"You look one hundred percent revived." Rukia says with a smile, and Ichigo feels a bit embarrassed at her choice of words.

"I feel better after my shower." He admits as he sits and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"Want me to rub your back?" Rukia asks as she bounces behind him and starts lifting his shirt without waiting for a response.

"I thought you'd never ask." Ichigo replies as he pulls his shirt off and lets her sit behind him, rubbing his back. Her touch makes him shiver a little bit, and Rukia notices this. It makes her happy that he reacts so strongly to her touch. She feels empowered by that. She gives him a rub meant to make his back feel ready for his battle against Renji the next day.

After she rubs him for fifteen minutes or so, and watches him roll his head around in pleasure, she boldly places a small kiss at the nape of his neck. She hears him exhale a long slow breath as she pulls away. She smiles. She then gently places tiny butterfly light kisses down the center of his spine, causing him to shiver and little goose bumps pop up all over his arms.

She reaches her right hand around and locates his right nipple with her finger and gently rubs her index finger up and down on it. His nipple hardens swiftly under her touch and he lets out a soft moan from her sensual action. She kisses him back up to the top of his neck, staying on the center of his spine. He shakes a little from the erotic feeling that explodes from her light little kisses.

"Rukia," Ichigo mutters as he grabs her hand that's touching her nipple and he pulls it off of him and turns to the side, offering her his lips. She gladly kisses them and slowly winds her arms around his bare chest and explores his mouth with wild abandonment. When she pulls away, he's sure her eyes are sparkling as she stares back at him with desire in her eyes.

"I love kissing you," she murmurs before leaning back into kiss him again. He gladly accepts her lips with his own as he tongue wrestles her furiously. He feels her hand slowly caressing his back and he lets his hands drop to her sides and under her shirt. He runs his hands across her sides, enjoying the feel of her skin against his bare hands. She pulls away and moves to his side as she pushes him down onto the bed and leans over him.

She remembers how she felt when he leaned over this way, and from the look in his eyes, he feels the exact same way about having her above him. She straddles him, like he did to her the other day and she takes both of his hands in her own and holds them against the bed as she lowers her lips to his again. Ichigo is squirming under her, and after a moment, she realizes why.

She can feel it against her thigh. She's turned him on a lot. She pulls away and smiles at him as she wiggles herself around on his hard spot. Ichigo's eyes close and he lets out a moan from her touch. She feels him start to resist her and she can feel his hands trying to push hers away. She grips his hands harder, painfully and she gives him a look.

"I'm not done." She says it softly as she looks into his eyes and Ichigo stops fighting her as he looks at her with a nervous expression on his face.

"You're driving me crazy," Ichigo tells her in a pained voice. Rukia ignores him and leans down to kiss his nipple. She wonders if he'll like that as much as she does. The way he starts thrashing underneath her gives her the answer to that question. He definitely likes it. She pulls away and Ichigo jumps up and tosses her onto the bed. He stands next to the bed, breathing deeply. His eyes are closed as he tries to get a hold of himself. Rukia sits up with a pleased smile on her face.

"That much?" Rukia asks with awe in her voice as she watches Ichigo struggle to gain control of himself. He glances at her and she's surprised to see a look in his eyes like he wants to pounce on her and make love to her right then and there. Her eyes widen in happiness at the strength of his reaction to her aggression. Ichigo looks away and takes a few more deep breaths before answering.

"You have a dangerous effect on me." He admits as he grabs his shirt off the bed and quickly puts it back on before sitting next to her again. He notices she's shifting uncomfortably and he looks at her with question in his eyes. "Are you okay?" He asks her.

"I'll be right back." Rukia says, embarrassed. She knows she didn't pee herself, but it feels as though she did. She too, got extremely turned on by the way Ichigo had responded to her. She feels awkward as she enters the bathroom. She looks at herself in the mirror. She looks like she just went through an ordeal. She runs her fingers through her hair to straighten it out, and does her best to dry herself between her legs.

She comes back out and Ichigo's flopped on the bed with his eyes closed. Rukia desperately wants to take a shower and so she sits next to him and kisses him smoothly on the lips.

"I'm going to go shower. I'll see you in the morning, same time as today." Rukia says softly before letting him kiss her back. He opens up his eyes as she gets off the bed and heads for the door.

"Good night," Ichigo says as he watches her leave. She smiles.

"Good night," she says softly before closing the door behind her. Ichigo sighs. She has the kind of effect on him that he should always be wary of. He could lose himself so easily in her.

J J J J

Ichigo watches as Rukia gets into the ring. Her opponent is a fourth level black belt in Taekwondo and a second degree black belt in karate. He knew that, thanks to Renji explaining it to him, which makes Ichigo very nervous. The girl is good, Ichigo has seen her fight before. She very much reminds him of Tatsuki, in fact. Ichigo wonders how long Rukia will take to finish this fight.

To every single person in the room's surprise, Rukia ends it within thirty seconds. The girl across from her kicked and Rukia had dodged, but the girl left her leg extended just a moment too long and Rukia had jumped at the opportunity to grab her leg and force her to the ground. Rukia kept a hold of her leg as she wrapped her own legs around her opponent's leg and started twisting her legs together against the direction that the other girl's leg should go. She had tapped out frantically.

Rukia is named female champion of the Annual Columbus Mixed Martial Arts Competition For Young People. They give her a belt, similar to the ones seen on TV for more major fights and she will be presented with a trophy the next day.

She stays close but doesn't need to translate about Renji's name or style, she just tells Ichigo his height and weight.

Rukia looks on nervously as her childhood friend and her fiancé face each other in the ring. The moment the match starts, she feels like her heart will explode. She wants Ichigo to win, and she doesn't want to see her childhood friend beat him.

For Renji and Ichigo it's more like a silent competition for the right to be with Rukia. Renji wants to show Ichigo that he doesn't deserve her and Ichigo wants to pound the fact that he does deserve her into the red haired moron's head.

Renji tries to circle Ichigo and size him up in the ring for a minute but Ichigo won't have it. He gets very aggressive and flies right at him with a three punch combo that is one of his fastest. His strategy is to use his fastest moves and not leave anything out there for Renji to grab. He flies into a spinning side kick and knocks Renji to his back. Ichigo waits for him to get up, since he figures the guy has techniques from the bottom just like the guy in the video he saw. He's going to have to knock him out.

Renji attempts to come at him, but Ichigo doesn't dodge like he normally does, he instead meets Renji's stomach with his foot in a powerful forward kick, and sends Renji to the mat again. Renji looks aggravated as he sizes Ichigo up for a second and then tries to rush in again. This time Ichigo doesn't meet him with the forward kick, he instead uses his forearm in a quick shove as he side steps in the middle of his attack and lets one foot hang out to trip Renji. His head hits pretty hard, but he still bounces back up. He attempts a punch which Ichigo blocks and Ichigo lands another punch in his stomach. The first round ends with them being told to go back to their corners. Renji hasn't landed one hit yet.

When they come back in for their second round, Renji feints a kick and punches Ichigo in the guy, to which Ichigo sends him a smile and quickly kicks Renji in the thigh and then pulls his leg back quickly and delivers a painful kidney shot before he hops back and keeps his arms and legs safe from Renji's reach.

Renji is much slower now. The kidney shot affected him severely. Ichigo ends up crow hopping across the ring and delivering the finishing kick to his stomach, knocking the wind out of Renji, who lays writhing in the ring. Rukia jumps up and down excitedly as Ichigo is given a wider but matching belt to Rukia's and is named the male champion of the Annual Columbus Mixed Martial Arts Competition For Young People. Rukia climbs up in the ring and kisses him in front of the entire crowd as she lifts her belt into the air and he lifts his. He lifts her up and hugs her in a victory hug.

There is a cheer from the crowd as everyone has fallen in love with the adorable couple over the course of the past week. Ichigo squats down.

"Hop on my shoulders," Ichigo says. Rukia climbs on and he hands her his belt. He stands with her on his shoulders and he hangs onto her legs as she holds up both belts. Ichigo starts to feel a nervous drip of sweat coming down his head. His shoulders and chest are burning from the places she is touching him. Every once in awhile, she leans forward and he can feel her breasts come against his head.

After a minute, he can endure no more and he lets go of her legs and grabs her by her waist as he squats back down to let her off.

Ichigo walks over and shakes Renji's hand respectfully since he's standing by now.

"Nice match." Ichigo says genuinely, only Renji looks pretty angry. Rukia appears beside Ichigo.

"For you maybe, I barely touched you." Renji says, furious with himself, and with the guy he still doesn't think deserves Rukia.

"Renji!" Rukia says, appalled. Renji looks a bit contrite.

"Thanks, I'm just a sore loser," he grunts. Ichigo accepts his half hearted apology. Renji looks at Rukia. "Congratulations on your win, again." Renji says softly. Rukia nods with a small smile.

"Thanks! Are you staying in town or leaving?" Rukia asks him. Renji grins at her.

"I still have my room for another night, so like always, I'll attend your awards ceremony." Renji replies softly. Rukia gulps. This will be the first time she's competed in a competition where they both didn't win.

"Thanks for that." Rukia says softly. Renji nods.

J J J J

"The awards ceremony is at two o'clock. There will be snacks, awards, and our names will be listed in the official log of the champions to this competition." Rukia reads the pamphlet out loud to Ichigo slowly as she's translating from English to Japanese.

"How long is it?" Ichigo asks her. Rukia lifts her shoulders.

"I don't know." She tells him, but then she grins at him. "Want to go for a drive?" she asks slyly. It's still very early, early enough to be able to take him on a date to her favorite arcade in the area, Game Works.

They spend hours playing games and having fun. Ichigo has so much fun being around her, far more than he ever has with any of his friends. They play virtual reality games, racing games, fighting games, and classics. Rukia finds herself having so much fun, she's laughing so much as they hang out together.

When they call for a ride back to their hotel, they stand in the doorway to the arcade, cuddling. Rukia agrees that they should definitely go back to the arcade tomorrow before the ceremony, and since her servant is in the hallway from getting a soft drink from the vending machine, Ichigo kisses Rukia on the cheek and goes into his own room alone.

J J J J

Ichigo and Rukia barely arrive in time for their own awards ceremony. They had lost track of time while in the arcade and Rukia had overheard someone else saying the time and she had dragged Ichigo out before he could start another game. She had ordered the driver to hurry, and they'd pulled up two minutes before two. They run in and a lot of the people in charge have looks of relief on their faces.

Ichigo ends up winning two trophies. He gets one for setting a new record in the competition as well as one for winning. Rukia smiles when she hears Renji cheering as she is given her own trophy. Ichigo steps next to her and kisses her on the cheek.

"Congratulations on winning." Ichigo says, smiling at her happy eyes.

"Same to you!" Rukia says as she hugs him close. Many people come over to talk to them, and Ichigo really enjoys the snack area. Once he makes his way over there, he doesn't leave that area until it's time to leave.

"I have a surprise for you tomorrow, you have to wake up really early since we're going to have a long drive to our destination." Rukia warns Ichigo.

"Is it something fun?" Ichigo asks her, sounding excited.

"Of course!" Rukia says, swatting his arm. "Aren't I a fun girl?" She asks him with a pout.

"Yes." Ichigo says, nodding and kissing her on the cheek.

"Dress comfortably for a long day of walking, bring your camera, and be ready to have tons of fun!" Rukia says, smiling at him. "Make sure you get a good night's rest for tomorrow's activities!" Rukia says in a sing song voice, causing Ichigo to smile at her. Her eyes widen when he hands her his winning check, which is endorsed to her. He refuses to allow her to do anything other than keep it since he already signed it over. He had asked Renji to help him do it, and Renji had happily agreed, since he agreed Ichigo owed it to her for flying him in from Japan.

They make their way back to the hotel and once again, Ichigo and Rukia part in the hallway, since her servant once again happened to be in the hallway as they walked in. Rukia hugs Ichigo and he kisses her on the forehead.

"What time do I need to be awake?" Ichigo asks.

"Seven in the morning. It will take around two and a half hours to get to our destination." Rukia says. Ichigo nods and kisses her on the cheek again.

"We'll meet in the hall then at twenty after seven, okay?" Ichigo asks her. Rukia smiles and nods. They both go into their separate rooms for the night.

She arranges to have a limo for the day since they'll be spending five hours in the car. Money is of no consequence to her anyways.

J J J J

Ichigo's eyes are wide as he and Rukia pull up into the parking lot of Cedar Point the next day around ten in the morning. He can hardly believe the size of some of the roller coasters. He looks at Rukia in excitement and she grins back at him.

"I told you it would be as fun as the arcade," Rukia says smugly.

"This is sweet!" Ichigo says as he catches a glimpse of some more rides as they drive through the parking lot. The driver lets them out at the front gate and as they walk in, their picture is taken by a Cedar Point employee who tells them they can get a keychain with their picture in it if they'd like. Ichigo's eyes are wide as he walks through the park admiring all of the different rides that are available to the tourists.

Rukia takes Ichigo on all the thrill rides. His favorite are the Millennium Force and the Dragster. She takes him on the Magnum, the Gemini, and the Mantis. She pulls him onto the Power Towers, and then she takes him over to the Rip Cord which is actually outside the official park, and they do the attraction that is one hundred and eighty feet tall, where they pull a rip cord and free fall for part of the way, and then glide the rest of the way. Rukia purchases the video, she laughs because Ichigo swears on his way down.

They ride the insanely huge Ferris Wheel and Ichigo kisses Rukia at the top of the ride, reveling in her beauty. She had blushed and held his hand tightly. He always made her feel so pretty, so special. She wanted him to feel that way too.

Ichigo takes pictures of the rides and buys souvenirs for his sisters from Cedar Point. Rukia had purchased all of the pictures of them coming down the thrill rides hills after they'd gone on each ride. They finally head back to Columbus at ten in the evening, since they won't get to the hotel until after midnight, and the next day is their flight home.

Rukia lays down in the limo with her head in Ichigo's lap as she looks up at him.

"I can't believe I made such a smart decision for myself at such a young age." Rukia tells him as they get onto the highway.

"Yeah, it feels like we were made to be together." Ichigo says, letting his fingers run through her hair. It's quickly becoming one of his favorite hobbies, to feel the silkiness of her hair against his fingers.

"I'm glad you still have that amazing smile," Rukia whispers, and Ichigo looks at her with surprise. Usually he doesn't smile. It's only around her that the corners of his lips find their way up, and often.

"You're the one with the amazing smile," Ichigo whispers back. "Your eyes too, they're the most unique and compelling shade of blue that I've ever seen." Ichigo tells her as he stares into the eyes under discussion.

"I like your eyes, they make me feel warm all over, whenever you look at me, especially like you are right now." Rukia says breathlessly.

"Around you, I'm hopeless," Ichigo admits in a forlorn voice. Rukia giggles.

"I hate that our trip is already ending," Rukia says with a sigh. "I've had more fun this week than I have in the past five years!" Rukia says with a smile still playing at her lips.

"Don't be such a stranger when we get back to Japan," Ichigo says huskily. Rukia looks up at him, her eyes serious.

"I'm getting so addicted to you that I doubt we could ever be strangers. Keep that in mind." Rukia adds, hoping he remembers her words when he finds out what high school she's attending this year and what class she's going to be in. "We're only going to get much closer," Rukia says with a note of promise in her voice.

She had it all worked out. She was going to invite the entire Kurosaki family to her gymnastics competition in Japan in a couple of weeks and while they were there, servants would move Rukia's belongings into the house that her brother had promised would be as close in vicinity to the Kurosaki home as he could manage. She still didn't know where she would be living yet though, because Byakuya was handling it.

"What are you thinking about? It's like I can see the wheels spinning in your brain." Ichigo says, watching the girl he was getting know very well now.

"Just imagining the future," Rukia says, honestly. Ichigo likes the sound of that.

"Oh yeah?" He asks her, giving her another really warm look and a quick smile.

"It makes me happy to picture the future, now that I have you back in my life," Rukia explains.

"I think about those things too," Ichigo admits in a soft voice, as he looks into her brilliant blue eyes.

"What do you picture?" Rukia asks looking very interested.

"I imagine coming to bed to you every night, and waking up to see you every morning. I like imagining that." Ichigo says in a near whisper.

"I like what I'm hearing," Rukia says, licking her lips, causing a swift rush of desire to flood Ichigo's senses. She sees his eyes narrow quickly as he studies her face and she wonders why his mood changed so suddenly, his eyes move to her chest. She watches as his eyes slowly move up and down the length of her body before he takes a shuddering breath.

One lick of her lips did that to him. He tries to fight it, but he can't, he needs to touch her. He lets his hand slide onto her perfectly flat belly as he once again admires her softness.

She can hear the quickness of his breath, and knows he's excited. She is too, but she feels positively grimy from her day at the amusement park. She hopes he doesn't try to take things too far with the driver in hearing distance.

Ichigo realizes she's tensing up a bit and wonders if she's uncomfortable with this kind of intimacy with the driver so close by. He figures she is, and then he realizes how exhausted he is from spending the day in the draining sun, and walking around. He leaves his hand on her belly as he leans his head back on the seat and closes his eyes.

Rukia closes her eyes too and they don't wake up until they reach the hotel. The driver woke them by loudly calling out.

"Miss? Miss, we're at the destination!" The driver had said, and the sleeping couple had woken up and gathered the items they'd accumulated that day. When they head up to their rooms, Rukia indicates that Ichigo should wait in the hallway for her to come back out. He gives her a confused look but he does as she asks. She had asked her servant to go and buy a new suitcase while they were out today to hold all of his extra things on the way back.

Ichigo looks at her gratefully for her foresight and he pulls her into his arms for a passionate kiss. Rukia excitedly responds and then they say good night. Both of them head straight for their showers, and then fall asleep dreading their arrival into Japan, since it means they'll separate again.

J J J J

Ichigo settles into his first class seat for the trip to San Francisco. They're going back the same way they came. Rukia settles next to him wearing a very pretty light pink one piece dress. It shows off her locket and she has her hair tied at the nape of her neck. He takes her hand as they wait for the plane to take off.

"Thank you for inviting me on this trip, I had a really good time." Ichigo says as he looks at her with a quiet happiness on his face.

"I couldn't have had as much fun as I did if you weren't with me!" Rukia says in return, squeezing his hand. Ichigo grins. He's glad she said that.

"It was great not having Byakuya sniffing around at every corner." Ichigo comments, causing Rukia to laugh.

"It was weird for me too, considering he was never around me very much growing up." Rukia says, remembering how she'd felt a bit uncomfortable at Byakuya's constant presence during their Miai, but she'd just focused on Ichigo and soon she'd forget her brother was watching. Ichigo never forgot though.

"At least he wasn't around this time and I got to have some time alone with you, for once." Ichigo says, giving her a look that tells her he's thinking of their intimate moments in his hotel room.

"I was glad for that too," Rukia whispers as she gives him a longing look.

"Stop looking at me like that, or I'll drag you into the bathroom," Ichigo mutters tearing his gaze away from her face.

"Sounds kinky," Rukia teases from next to him. Ichigo smothers a groan.

"You play with fire too much," Ichigo tells her, still not meeting her gaze.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Rukia announces before glancing around to make sure nobody sees what she does next. He's not looking and so when he feels her hand cup his fun parts, he jumps in his seat in surprise.

"Rukia!" Ichigo hisses pulling her hand off of his lap, and taking deep breaths as he has been doing a lot of as of late to calm his frenzied nerves. Rukia grins at his reaction.

"I love it when you say my name in the heat of passion," she whispers, glad nobody can understand Japanese around them. First class is not crowded today and she decides to make the most of it.

"You don't know when to stop," Ichigo says in a strained voice.

"Sure I do, but now is not the time. Kiss me, Ichigo." Rukia demands. Ichigo turns his head and offers her a kiss. That's one request he can't turn down. He didn't mean to make it such a deep and passionate kiss, but she'd just had her hand in a place that affected him in a big way and he's reacting to it now that he can. He lets his hand fall on her shoulder and then slide down over her breast and onto her stomach. He then moves his hand to her leg which he touches gently and he feels the hem of her dress, and he slips his hand under it. The sounds of someone approaching put an end to their making out, but they both hold hands and sit there breathing hard.

They spend the entire two plane rides back sneaking little kisses and caresses in whenever they can, which is more difficult on the second plane since a lot of Japanese people are on it, but luckily the ones within seeing distance fell asleep an hour into the flight and Ichigo managed to feel Rukia up, kiss her a whole bunch of times, she sneaked her hand onto his groin three more times after the first time, and he was seriously considering taking her into the bathroom and lifting up her dress and taking her there, but he was able to restrain himself.

The long flight goes way too quickly for both of them. As they stand in the baggage claim area, they hold hands as they watch for their bags to arrive, which they do all too quickly. When they walk outside, Ichigo sees his family at the pick up area for the airline they had traveled on. Rukia sees her chauffeur as well. Ichigo leans down and places a quick kiss on her lips.

"I hope I see you soon," Ichigo says softly as he pulls away.

"You will, I promise!" Rukia says, smiling sadly at him. Ichigo walks his stuff over to his dad's waiting car and he throws it in the open trunk. His father clocks him in the head in greeting as Ichigo gets into the front passenger seat of the car.

Ichigo tells the girls he filled the cameras with pictures and they happily squeal.

"How did you do in the tournament?" Karin asks as soon as they're on the road.

"I won." Ichigo says quietly.

"That's my son!" Isshin exclaims proudly. The girls slap hands.

"What about Rukia-chan?" Yuzu asks next.

"She won too." Ichigo says, causing the whole family to loudly fuss around in the car.

"You two really are perfect for one another, aren't you?" Karin says with a disgusted look on her face.

"Yeah, we are." Ichigo says as he lays his head back against the seat. He's a little bit annoyed with himself, life already seems so dreary now that she's not with him. He hopes he doesn't have to wait too long to feast his eyes on her again.


	16. Chapter 15: The Plan

Chapter 15

_The Plan_

"Guess what Ichigo!" Isshin busts into his son's room without knocking. Ichigo who was working on summer homework, looked up at his dad.

"What?" Ichigo asks.

"Byakuya just called, and our whole family is invited to Rukia's gymnastics competition in for a day! It's a two hour drive so we'll be spending the entire day out of town, this Saturday!" Isshin replies. Ichigo perks up.

"She sure does have a thing for competition," Ichigo mutters even as he feels a grin coming on. He remembers how cute she looked in her leotard when she'd done the demonstration during their Miai.

His father had displayed his two trophies in the waiting room to his clinic, and had hung a few of the tournament pictures inside as well, courtesy of Yuzu and Karin.

His sisters wander in after they followed the sound of their father yelling. Yuzu is wearing the dragster tee-shirt that Ichigo bought her and Karin is wearing the Cedar Point hat that he got for her and is drinking out of the dragster water bottle that he and Rukia had gotten for her. Yuzu has on the America themed headband that Rukia got for her. Ichigo had given his Dad a Dragster vodka glass, which miraculously hadn't broken on the plane ride back.

"I think it will be so much fun, I really enjoyed the performance Rukia-chan put on when we visited their home!" Yuzu says with excitement. Karin nods.

"I thought her tumbling routine was really cool too." Karin admits without scowling.

"We'll be leaving early on Saturday, and we won't be home until late. After the competition, we'll have dinner with Rukia, but her brother won't be able to join us this time." Isshin tells them all.

"Aw shucks," Ichigo says sarcastically. The girls start talking to each other excitedly as they leave his room and his father smiles happily.

"Things are going well between you two aren't they?" Isshin asks, as he sees his son's first happy expression since he parted with Rukia at the airport a week ago.

"Yeah, we had fun in America," Ichigo replies, looking up at his father.

"And you've talked on the phone every night," Isshin says, remembering how when the phone rang right at nine o'clock, Ichigo had been dragging the phone to his room to wait for Rukia's call.

"Yeah," Ichigo replies, blushing at the memory of some of the things that had come out of her mouth when they had been talking.

"I'll never forget how Masaki and I discovered her in your room all those years ago. We were so shocked that there were two children in your bed," Isshin chuckles.

"I don't remember that, all I have from that night is what you taped," Ichigo says slowly.

"I never did get over the fact that you were able to hide her from us for over two months," Isshin says, remembering how he had wondered how he was going to explain Rukia's presence at his house to Byakuya and Hisana.

"I only remember bits and pieces from when she and I were hiding out from you. Not very much," Ichigo says as he still is trying to figure out how he knew at such a young age that he would want to be with Rukia forever.

"You were very young. So mature for a four year old too. I still remember how you asked Hisana's permission to marry Rukia. It was one of the fondest memories that I have in my life," Isshin says, smiling at the memory. Ichigo smiles too, since that was on tape.

"I looked pretty nervous," Ichigo says back, wondering how long it's been since he's had a chat with his father like this.

"Cheer up son, you'll see her soon," Isshin says before backing out of the room and shutting Ichigo's door.

Ichigo gets up and lays down on his bed. He's been spending a lot of his time thinking about her. She has the ability to occupy his mind for most of the day. Saturday couldn't come soon enough, and just as he expected, the week dragged.

J J J J

Rukia looks into the crowd anxiously. She was in the dressing room getting ready and now she's trying to locate Ichigo in the stands. It's an individual competition, and so Rukia's not representing a team, she's representing herself. It only takes her a minute to find her orange haired fiancé. She smiles in his direction when she locates him. Never in her life has she seen anybody with such a bright color of hair besides her betrothed. It makes finding him in a crowd easy.

She waves at them all while she waits to see the order on the board of the contestants. There are fifty girls and all of the apparatuses will be in use at the same time since there's a high number of competitors.

Rukia winds up being rotated in the middle. Her first event is the beam. She ends up doing a phenomenal performance including aerials on the beam and a perfect splits on it before pulling herself up into a handstand and turning in a circle without checking her balance. She does some leaps across the beam before performing a beautiful back walk-over.

Ichigo and his family all hold their breath since they can tell her dismount is coming. They all watch wide eyed as she does a front handspring into a double front flip off of the beam and only has the tiniest of hops on her landing. They all cheer for her as she gives the crowd and judges a dazzling smile. Ichigo is impressed. Her balance probably has a lot to do with martial arts, but he is surprised that she isn't an Olympic contestant with her abilities.

They had decided to sit closest to the floor mats and the uneven bars. Ichigo gets up as she finishes and races around to the outer wall closest to her.

"Rukia!" Ichigo calls her name and she walks over to the wall and gives him a huge smile.

"Thanks for coming, I'm so happy you're here!" Rukia says happily, her ponytail bobbing as she nods her head in excitement.

"Thanks for inviting us, your last routine kicked ass! What are you going to be on next?" Ichigo asks her, with a sexy grin. He pulls a bouquet of roses out that the wall had been hiding from her view. She accepts them happily.

"Thanks Ichigo! I'll be doing vault next." Rukia says breathlessly. Ichigo leans over the wall and kisses her on the cheek. Rukia looks up at him, her eyes shining with happiness. Ichigo kisses her forehead next and smiles at her.

"Good luck!" He tells her. She smiles before heading over to the vault area. It will be another twenty minutes to a half hour before her performance, but she needs to be in the area as part of the rules. Other girls go and accept flowers from fans too though so she won't be singled out unless she lingers too long at the wall.

Ichigo goes back to his family who are all smiling at him.

"That was cute," Isshin says with a happy grin.

"That was so cute I almost puked," Karin agrees with a grin that looks very fake. She's in a particularly bad mood for being forced into a dress, even though she enjoys the performances as much as her sister, who prefers dresses to shorts.

"You are so cool! That was so romantic, giving her red roses!" Yuzu says with a proud smile.

"Shut up, all of you," Ichigo growls as he lets his eyes rest on Rukia. She's wearing a powder blue sparkly leotard, it makes her eyes look bluer and it makes it look like her whole body sparkles. It fits her.

"She looked so happy with her flowers, I'm glad you thought of getting them," Isshin says with a proud smile.

"She's vaulting next, if you girls want to walk over with me and sit over there until she does her tumbling routine and uneven bars routine." Ichigo tells his sisters who both nod excitedly.

Rukia sees when Ichigo and his sisters move closer to have a closer view of her vaulting routine. She tries to stay as calm as possible, but she really wants to show him how good she is. She remembers how when thugs had confronted them, how Ichigo had done an amazing acrobatic handspring and had landed on the guy's shoulders. Ichigo sure was multi-talented. His tumbling ability appeared to be superior to her own.

She wants him to see that she's talented too. She wants him to admire and appreciate her as much as she does him. She smells her roses and wonders if he already doesn't admire and appreciate her as much as she does him. Rukia decides to try her most difficult vault first.

When it's her turn, she takes a deep breath and signals to the judges that she's about to start. She has a gorgeous smile on her face from Ichigo's perspective. He watches avidly as she takes off down the runway. He holds his breath as she does a back handspring onto the spring for the vault and does a javelin type tumble. It's amazing that she lands on her feet, she does a balance check, but she made a perfect landing with no hop. She holds her arms up in a V form before going back to the end of the runway to attempt her second vault. Ichigo lets out his breath.

She waits for the scores on her first vault before signaling that she's ready to attempt her second. She's pleased with her very high numbers. Once again, Ichigo holds his breath as she does a different vault, this time she does a front handspring onto the vault and flies into a double flip tumble before landing with a step.

Her first score ends up being the better of the two and her second vault is thrown out. She goes to collect her flowers and bag and Ichigo leans over the wall.

"What's next?" He calls out. She smiles at him.

"Uneven Bars!" Rukia calls out, smiling and waving at the girls who smile and wave back at her.

"You're awesome!" Ichigo calls out. Rukia blushes and Karin rolls her eyes.

"Aw, how cute," she says sarcastically.

"Shut your trap." Ichigo orders with a glare included for her benefit.

"Rukia-chan is awesome! You think so too!" Yuzu says, elbowing Karin.

"Well, she is, but Ichi-ni doesn't have to act like such a lovesick moron whenever he talks to her." Karin says with a snicker.

"Shut up." Ichigo says again, giving Karin a longer glare. Karin shuts up. Ichigo sighs before standing up. "I'm going back to our seats, since they're in good view of her last two events." Ichigo says in a growl. Yuzu glares at Karin for yanking the happiness right out of Ichigo's eyes.

"Karin-chan!" Yuzu says in a loud disapproving whisper. Karin looks down, for once feeling guilty for her rude remarks. Her brother has spent many years being sad and depressed. In fact she tried a lot of times to emulate his behavior, but even she wanted him to be happy. She shouldn't have made fun of him for actually being happy for once.

She wonders if she will ever meet a boy that makes her smile the way her brother smiles for Rukia. She discards that thought almost as quickly as she has it. Every boy she knows, including her brother are useless, and she isn't exactly looking forward to the dating scene. She can kick the ass of every boy she knows outside of her brother, but he hasn't needed to come to her rescue because she's always been tough enough to take care of her own problems. Karin sighs and follows meekly behind Yuzu, feeling as badly as her sister thinks she should.

Rukia has rotated over to the uneven bars area and she keeps trading glances with Ichigo, since she's sitting as close to them as she can up against the wall of her area.

Karin is relieved to see her brother looks happy again. _Gee that didn't take long._ She watches as Rukia and Ichigo catch each other's eyes and she resists the urge to gag. She instead sits quietly next to Yuzu and holds all of the sarcastic comments that she could be saying._ You are so gross, you're so in love you're making me sick._ Karin grins at the direction of her own thoughts. _His smile is cheesier than macaroni and cheese. _She watches as Rukia looks at the next competitor's routine and Karin decides to watch as well.

"Wow, that is so cool!" Yuzu says excitedly. She's not looking at the uneven bars routine, she's watching the floor routine since Rukia's not up yet. Her eyes widen as the girl does an amazing tumbling set that makes Yuzu catch her breath.

"That does look like fun," Karin admits softly.

"It does! It's like they're flying!" Yuzu says with an impressed look on her face. Karin grins.

"Maybe you should take up gymnastics." Karin says with a sideways look at her sister.

"No, I don't do sports. You inherited all of those genes." Yuzu informs her and Karin rolls her eyes."We're not identical, it's not like I took something from you." Karin says softly.

"I'm not saying you did. I'm just saying you inherited the athletic gene and I did not." Yuzu protests, not trying to accuse Karin of something that wasn't possible.

"Oh," Karin says as she looks back at the bars. Rukia is glancing back over at Ichigo whose eyes are on hers. Karin doesn't even think he's looked at another performance by anyone else because he's too busy looking at Rukia._ Are all men this hopeless when they fall in love?_ Karin wonders this for a minute before letting herself be distracted by another performance on the floor.

When it's Rukia's turn, Ichigo stands and goes up to the wall to get a better view. He watches as Rukia chalks her hands and takes a deep breath before walking over near the bars and raising her hand to signal she's ready to begin her performance.

He watches as she grasps the bars and starts spinning around. He holds his breath when she goes from the lower bar to the higher bar. He takes a swift and concerned gasp when she attempts and then successfully completes a difficult release move. He watches in amazement as she balances into a handstand position and holds it for a second before swinging back around. She releases to the lower bar and spins around before releasing back to the high bar and swinging around slowly at first into hand stands and then faster and faster.

When she performs her dismount, Ichigo's eyes widen as she flips around in the air, and lands and it almost appears like she's going to sink to her knees, but she gains her stance perfectly and throws her arms into a V concluding her turn on the bars. Ichigo claps and Rukia awaits her score. The whole family cheers when very nice numbers shoot up next to her name and event on the board.

"Wow, I can't believe we've been here almost two hours! I'm enjoying it so much," Isshin comments as he glances at his watch. He like many men had never given gymnastics the praise it deserves. He's more than impressed with what he's seen to day, especially from Rukia.

Ichigo's eyes widen when his father states they've been there two hours. Ichigo silently agrees that time has been flying. He has also enjoyed Rukia's performances. He's glad she invited him and even though they're annoying, his family too, since they appear to be enjoying it.

"Look, Rukia-chan is doing some stretches, I think she's up next!" Yuzu says excitedly. Ichigo didn't need to be told, he'd been eyeing her for most of the time they've been here. He feels a bit of longing when he watches her stretch and he stares at her body. He doesn't notice his father watching him though. Isshin's got a big smile on his face.

When Rukia steps up to the mat and stands in the corner, she freezes as she waits for her music to start. When it does start, it's a light and perky beat, and it suits her. She dances around the mat in a series of very graceful dance movements and strength techniques. She does a back walk-over and slides into the splits. Right after, and she does a handstand while her legs are in the splits and turns in a perfect circle. She gains her feet and dances her way over to the corner and the girls start getting excited.

"Rukia's going to do a tumbling move!" Yuzu says excitedly. The entire family's eyes are on her as she takes a visible breath before dashing diagonally down the mat. She flies into a set of three handsprings before flying up into a double tuck. She lands with so much momentum that she takes a tiny step back, but she doesn't go out of bounds.

"That was cool," Karin says as Rukia looks like she's about to do a second tumbling sequence in a row. They all watch as Rukia takes another running start and does a front handspring into two back handsprings and a double back flip. Upon landing she does a single flip forward and then falls onto the ground bouncing off of her chest and then she bounces back up and does a few dancing moves.

They watch as she edges her way back to a different edge of the mat and smiles before her final tumbling sequence. It's by far the most spectacular. She doesn't run as far this time, she starts out with what looks like two front handsprings, two back handsprings and then a double javelin type flip, where she spins more than once. She throws her arms up signifying the end of that tumbling set. Ichigo watches in amazement as does two aerials forward and lands in the splits for her conclusion, arms in a V in the air as the music ends.

"I can't believe it!" I can't wait to tell her how great she was!" Yuzu says excitedly.

"It looks like she's putting on pants and a jacket. Maybe she'll wait with us as we wait for the results." Isshin says with a smile, noting Ichigo's hopeful expression.

Rukia is not able to join them as all the gymnasts have to stay on the floor. Her rankings halfway through had been fourth. Ichigo hadn't noticed, but she had, and she'd stepped up the performance for her final two apparatuses. She had earned high marks for her performances too.

She ended up in third, unable to catch up to first place. Individually she won second on the floor, and second on the vault. She had come in fifth for her beam performance and third on the uneven bars. Her overall scores had gotten her third place. She had been only a tenth of a point from first place in her floor exercise. The judges had their favorites and Rukia's talent had been a surprise to all of them.

Ichigo hadn't been able to tear his eyes away from her and he felt a small bit of anger run through his body. If someone had been better than her, wouldn't he have noticed? He thinks she deserved first place. His opinion was biased but he didn't let himself think about that. Rukia is given several medals for her performances. She disappears into the changing room. She finally joins the Kurosaki family with a big smile on her face. She's wearing a one piece light yellow dress. Everyone returns her smile.

"Thanks for coming! I'm so happy you all were here to watch!" Rukia says with a happy smile. She drops her gym bag at her feet.

"You were terrific!" Yuzu says with a big smile.

"You deserved first place." Ichigo whispers in her ear as he kisses her cheek. "Congratulations on all of your medals, I thought you were amazing." Ichigo tells her softly, earning him another eye roll from Karin.

"Thanks," Rukia says in a soft pleased voice.

"Rukia-chan, I knew you were talented but that was such a magnificent set of performances you put on, we're all very grateful you invited us to watch such a spectacular show," Isshin says warmly and a bit excitedly.

"Thanks! Are you all ready to go out to dinner? I have the perfect place!" Rukia says happily. Isshin nods. They all head out and Ichigo grabs her bag for her.

The entire family is surprised that Rukia has a limo waiting for them.

"Wow," Isshin says with a whistle. Rukia grins.

"I figured your car wouldn't be big enough for everyone, and we'll bring you back to your car after dinner." Rukia says as the girls squeal excitedly about being able to ride in a limo. Ichigo gives her a look but she just smiles innocently at him. He sighs and gets in last after her.

"Wow, how nice!" Yuzu breathes excitedly as Ichigo gets in. He sets Rukia's bag on the floor and sits down next to Rukia.

"This is very generous of you, Rukia-chan." Isshin says in a low voice as he checks out the inside of the limo.

"Think nothing of it, since it was kind of a special day for me, Byakuya ni-sama arranged it. It's his way of contributing without showing up." Rukia says softly. Isshin doesn't say anything more and Ichigo puts his arm around her and then gives Karin a pointed look that she takes to heart, and she doesn't make a smartass comment about the lovesick way Ichigo's been acting every time he's in Rukia's presence.

When they arrive at the fancy restaurant, Karin is suddenly glad she's not in shorts and a tee-shirt with her cap on, as it is a very classy place. Her dress feels very casual all of a sudden. Rukia isn't wearing something outrageously fancy, but she doesn't seem underdressed.

Rukia gives him her last name and the waiter immediately ushers them to their table which was prepared in advance due to reservations. Ichigo enjoys his family dinner far more than he ever has in the past.

Dinner is wonderful and spending time with Rukia is great. The only part that sucks is that he knows it won't last much longer. He tries not to think about that.

"Ichigo, I promise you we'll see each other," Rukia whispers in his ear. Ichigo glances at her questioningly.

""What?" Ichigo asks.

"You looked a little down, I figured it was because dinner was almost over." Rukia says, causing Ichigo to give her a little grin.

"You can read me that well already?" He asks, feeling a bit stupid.

"I'm afraid so." Rukia says in a voice that suggests she feels badly for him.

"That will take some getting used to." Ichigo mumbles.

"Hurry up and get used to it now, it'll make your life easier." Rukia tells him, causing him to shoot her small glare.

"Easy for you to say." Ichigo practically snorts.

"Not as easy as you think," Rukia says with a hint of regret in her voice. Ichigo looks at her questioningly, but she turns her attention back to the rest of his family.

Later as she drops them off, she gets out of the car for a moment and Ichigo leans down to hug and kiss her, getting a loud cheer from his family.

"Call me." Ichigo tells her as he ignores his family. Rukia nods emphatically.

"I'll see you soon," she says with a soft smile before waving at his family and then getting back in the limo. Ichigo shoves his hands into his pocket and lets out a loud disappointed sigh that his time with her is over. He walks over to the family car and gets in the passenger seat continuing to ignore his loud and embarrassing family.

J J J J

The weeks go by quickly and summer vacation is about over. Ichigo has his summer homework done but he has not seen Rukia since her gymnastics performance just over two weeks ago. She still calls him every night, and she apologizes profusely before promising every night that they'll see each other soon.

Isshin had been commenting just before Rukia's gymnastics competition, that it's strange that he hasn't seen the neighbors next door. Two days after Rukia's performance Isshin had asked a local police officer who had given him a surprised look.

"They moved out last month. They moved out quickly, they didn't say why, just that they'd gotten the right offer and so they were moving. There have been some worker trucks there, I guess they're improving the place before they move in. I actually thought I saw some people moving belongings in, but I haven't seen anybody actually living there." The officer had been distracted by someone else and had walked off rather rudely. Isshin had scratched his head.

About a week after Rukia's gymnastics competition some curtains appeared on all of the windows in the home so that you couldn't just look in. Isshin had been paying attention and he thought it was all very strange.

Two days before school starts, Isshin can suddenly tell there's activity in the house, because despite the curtains that block your view, he can see lights on though he can't actually see clearly in the house, lights haven't been on in over a month. Isshin knocks on the door, but nobody answers. He wonders if someone was there and left with the lights on since he can't hear anything.

Rukia was soaking in the tub of the newly renovated bathroom in her new house. She of course has her servant, Shoko, who is a live in servant and her brother has contracted her a driving company that bills him when she needs rides. She is given free reign in that area. There is no limit on how far she can go or how many times she can call in a day.

She grows nervous on the night she moves in. She knows from talking to Ichigo that his family eats dinner every night at seven. At the time that they eat, they do not have a clear view of her new home, and that is the time she and Shoko had stepped through the door of her new home, complete with new locks, security system, renovations, and furniture.

She had taken a huge breath of relief that it had all gone so smoothly and that she wasn't spotted prematurely. She had of course taken precautions, she was wearing a curly haired wig, a huge black hat, huge sunglasses, a long loose black dress and heavy make-up. She had felt somewhat confident that Ichigo wouldn't recognize her if he happened to glimpse her. For Shoko she had given her a black wig. That was enough to change her appearance.

It's while she's having her enjoyable soak in the tub that she hears Isshin knocking on the door. She had asked Shoko not to answer the door if anybody came to it tonight and Shoko who had been weary from the days activities of unpacking her things, had fallen asleep early. Shoko didn't even hear the knocking, she was a deep sleeper.

Rukia was relieved when the pounding stopped and she hopes her plan works out because she's worked hard on it. She only has to go one more full day without running into Ichigo. Then she has to make sure he and his family do not see her leave for school. She wants the moment he first sees her again to be as she's being introduced as the new transfer student. The whole idea gives her such a thrill.

She calls Ichigo at nine o'clock like always. She can hear that he sounds a bit down."You don't want to go back to school, do you?" Rukia asks with a nervous giggle.

"I wasn't even thinking about that," Ichigo says.

"Why not? You should be. I know I'm thinking about my first day! What's your class like?" Rukia asks him.

"There is nothing special about my class." Ichigo assures her.

"Really? No girls who will be ecstatic to be seated near you?" Rukia teases.

"I don't pay attention to them to know, plus the seat next to mine is empty." Ichigo informs her. Rukia smiles slowly at that information. It looks like everything is working out beautifully to suit her plans.

Her brother had already demanded she be put into that class and the principal had agreed with a stutter. Rukia had smiled considerably at how smoothly and perfectly everything was going. She expected it to be ruined any second.

"What's your teacher like?" Rukia asks him next.

"She's so weird. Some of the most unexpected things come out of her mouth, for a teacher." Ichigo comments. Rukia laughs as she stares at the school uniform she will be wearing to Ichigo's class.

"What are you going to do on your last day of summer?" Rukia asks next, holding her breath for the answer.

"I don't know. Be annoyed that I'm not spending it with you." Ichigo mutters into the phone. Rukia racks her thoughts but she can't think of a way to see Ichigo without exposing her plan. She feels terrible, but she's able to deal with it because she'll see him every day from now on as of the day after tomorrow.

"Aw, don't be like that, you should do something. Hang out with your friends." Rukia tells him as she looks at all of the stuff she still has to unpack. Her Ichigo box had already been unpacked. It was the first thing she had unpacked and her combs were already on the dresser, her pictures arranged, her photo album on the shelf of her nightstand between the two drawer in it. Her videos were in a display case by the TV, and her rabbit's foot is on her night stand next to her Cedar Point Keychain.

Her brothers servants had brought in the furniture and had adorned her bed with fresh sheets. They had unpacked all the linens in the home before she had moved in and had freshly washed her linens the morning before she had arrived.

She has a cleaning lady who will come three times a week, and she basically lives the same as she always has, except that Byakuya has assured her that this home is hers and will be hers forever unless she chooses to sell it.

Every time she's sure she's used to his generosity, he always surprises her. She thinks it's his way of paying respects to her sister.

"Yeah, I probably will. Otherwise my family will drive me insane." Ichigo says in a dejected voice, and Rukia giggles.

"I'm going to go to bed now, I've got tons of things to do tomorrow, but I'll call you at the same time." Rukia tells him.

"Okay, good night." Ichigo says softly. Rukia smiles at the phone before responding.

"Good night, Ichigo." Rukia hangs up her phone and bounces onto the bed and over to her window. She pulls the curtain apart just barely and only allows enough room for one eye to look at the Kurosaki home. She wonders if it's Ichigo's window across the way. She jumps in surprise when she sees a blurb of orange walk by the window directly across from her.

_How is it even possible for things to work out this incredibly well? It's like I'm going to have the whole thing blow up in my face tomorrow!_

Rukia pushes that uncomfortable thought out of her mind as she flops down on her bed. She is getting so excited at the look that will come across Ichigo's face when he finds out she's here to stay. _I cannot wait! _

Rukia falls asleep feeling sublimely happy. Ichigo is miserable though, he lays in bed and feels a headache coming on. He has no clue how he'll spend his last day of summer vacation.

J J J J

The next day Rukia exhausts herself to finish unpacking. Her room was extremely large with a walk-in closet. Her brother had informed her that he had knocked out a wall to make sure she had enough room for all of her things. From the looks of things though, he had the whole upstairs redone, she can tell by how it looks and smells. She thinks it was incredibly nice for him to do all of t his for her. Shoko had come to help her hang up her extensive wardrobe. Her walk-in closet was large enough to accommodate everything. That's how she's sure it was remodeled.

She didn't typically like to spend any more than one hour shopping. She knew her size and wouldn't try stuff on. There were times she didn't like the things she bought. She has a box of clothes for Karin and Yuzu to go through once they're allowed to know she's here. Whatever they don't like, she'll donate.

Rukia is exhausted by the time she's finished, thanks to the help of Shoko and she decides to watch one of her tapes until it's time to call Ichigo.

J J J J

Ichigo ended up hanging out with all of his friends on his day off. Tatsuki, Sado, Keigo, and Mizuiro.

"Do you guys mind if Inoue joins us?" Tatsuki asks once they're all at the ice cream parlor. Keigo drools.

"Inoue is always, and I mean always welcome around, a friend of yours is a friend of ours, right guys?" Keigo says. Sado doesn't say anything and Mizuiro scoffs and puts his nose in the air. Ichigo hits Keigo in the back of the head.

"Shut up." Ichigo says to him.

"So it's okay?" Tatsuki asks. She receives several shrugs and so she calls Inoue.

"Come to the ice cream shop right around the corner from my house, a bunch of us are hanging out here," Tatsuki says. Ichigo ignores her.

"I'm getting a hot fudge sundae." Ichigo announces to the guys.

"You always get that!" Keigo says, "Be more adventurous for once!"

"There is nothing adventurous about ice cream, idiot." Ichigo mutters.

"Spoken like a someone who is really naive," says Mizuiro, earning a menacing look from Ichigo. "I spoke without thinking!" Mizuiro ducks. He does _not_ like getting hit by Ichigo, which is why he almost never pushes his temper. Ichigo blushes as a few erotic scenes involving Rukia and ice cream flash through his head.

"Let me elaborate, there is nothing adventurous about it _here_." Ichigo amends and Mizuiro laughs at his blush.

"You're interested in someone!" Mizuiro says. Ichigo just looks at him and is relieved it's their turn to order.

"It's our turn, move." Ichigo says as he steps up to the counter. "A hot fudge sundae. Extra hot fudge." Ichigo tells her. He pays and lets his buddies order while he finds a seat. By the time his friends join him, Inoue has arrived as well, but Ichigo is on a mission to eat every last bit of hot fudge in his dish.

"Inoue-san, that looks interesting, what's that?" Keigo asks, pointing at her ice cream.

"Strawberry ice cream with sweet bean paste!" Inoue says proudly. Keigo looks a bit disgusted. Tatsuki had grinned. She is pretty sure she's used to her friend's weird eating habits by now.

"You say that like it's normal," Tatsuki says with a grin. Ichigo had glanced up at the mention of strawberries with a scowl and had immediately went back to the task at hand of getting every last bit of fudge from his dish.

"You sure love chocolate," Tatsuki mentions. Ichigo glances up at her.

"So? A lot of people like chocolate." Ichigo says, still scowling.

"School starts tomorrow, try not to be a jerk," Tatsuki mutters. Ichigo ignores her.

Inoue looks at Tatsuki sadly, since she's secretly loved Ichigo for a long time. She's continually disappointed when he spares her no more than a disinterested glance periodically. Other boys and men alike stare at her as though she is their dream come true. Only _he_ acts like she's insignificant. She couldn't help falling in love with him, she had witnessed him protecting a child from teenage bullies a few years ago, and ever since then had a hard core crush on him.

She's been waiting for him to finally notice her for the attractive woman that every other guy sees her as, and it killed her when he'd announced last winter that he was engaged. She kept hoping it wasn't true since he refused to say anything beyond that, only his father had confirmed it and Tatsuki had told her about it.

Ichigo wishes he hadn't come, he's feeling antisocial. There's only one girl's company he wants and she isn't here. When he finishes eating, he stands abruptly.

"I'm going to take a walk, and head home," Ichigo says. Tatsuki holds up a hand.

"Wait, we'll walk with you! Orihime is coming over my house," Tatsuki says. Ichigo nods, even though he could care less.

He walks home with them but he doesn't participate in their conversation, nor does he listen to it. He's surprised when he's almost home and he's suddenly shoved by Tatsuki. He glares at her.

"What in the hell was that for?" Ichigo asks her with a scowl. Tatsuki returns the look.

"I said your name four times." Tatsuki informs him.

"Oh, I had things on my mind. What?" He asks her. Tatsuki takes a visible breath.

"When do I get to meet the girl you're engaged to?" She asks him, waiting without breathing.

"I don't know." Ichigo says softly before walking at a quicker pace to his home. The girls watch him enter and Inoue looks at Tatsuki.

"What do you think?" Inoue asks her.

"I don't know. He never talks about her." Tatsuki says, feeling uncertain and confused. "His dad said say he's engaged." Tatsuki reminds her.

"I wonder what she's like." Inoue says, feeling a strong wave of jealousy towards a girl she's never even met or seen.

"I'd like to know myself." Tatsuki says before heading towards her own house with Inoue.

Ichigo walks into his house and realizes it's still early. He sighs. Time only goes by fast when he's with Rukia. He finds his sister already starting to prepare dinner.

"Isn't it early for that?" Ichigo asks her. Yuzu smiles sadly at him.

"I can only make these kind of extravagant dishes when I have a lot of time, and with school starting, I just wanted to make something special, to conclude a special summer." Yuzu says smiling sweetly at him. Ichigo's amazed at how grown up she is.

"You should do something fun on your last day of summer vacation." Ichigo tells her. Yuzu grins at him.

"What makes you think I'm not having fun?" She pokes her tongue out at him and he doesn't smile, but he stops frowning for a second.

"Alright, you're having fun," Ichigo mutters as he heads up to his room and flops on his bed. He stares up at the black and white blown up photo that his mother had given to him. It really is an incredible picture. He wishes he hadn't taken it down, and hadn't let his mother's death mix in with the joy he felt when he was with Rukia. All these years later the small pretty girl has turned into an enticing teenager with the promise of more to come. She still has the ability to make him smile and feel happy.

He ends up dozing off before dinner. His dad wakes him up with a backhand slap to the right cheek and Ichigo shoots out of bed swinging at his father.

"Stop doing that!" Ichigo yells, and Isshin dodges his son's hits.

"You're too slow!" Isshin cries out as he body slams Ichigo on the floor. He leaves his arm out there though. Ichigo applies the technique of his favorite girl and he grabs his father and starts bending his arm back.

"Ow! Stop that!" Isshin screams."Only if you stop!" Ichigo yells, keeping the pressure.

"Okay!" Isshin hops away from Ichigo as he rubs his arm. He doesn't understand what just happened. Ichigo had beaten him?

The evening drags for Ichigo despite the tasty dinner until Rukia calls him. He's happy up until they hang up. He sighs. As always she had ended the conversation with promising to see him soon. He falls asleep pissed off.

Rukia has a hard time falling asleep, but she finally manages to. She wakes up a bit early to make sure she looks her best for when Ichigo gets his first glimpse of her and adorns her locket. She waits for the hired car which will take her after Ichigo should arrive at school and be in class. She had been informed by the principal that she would be introduced after the rest of the class had been seated, and so for that reason, she wouldn't go inside until the warning bell.

She had toured the school with Byakuya a week earlier when he had his meeting with the principal. The faculty was not aware of their betrothal though.

Rukia yawns as she stares out the window. Her heart races when she sees Ichigo leave his house, and two boys meet him in front of his house. She had pulled the curtain so that he face couldn't possibly be seen and she watches as he walks by her house. He has a miserable scowl on his face, and she knows he'll lose it soon. It should take him about ten minutes to reach the front door of his school and it will be another ten minutes after that when the warning bell rings. The car should make it there pretty quickly.

The driver is already in her driveway and Rukia grabs her bag and her lunch, leftover dinner. She doesn't want everyone knowing she's rich right off the bat. She wants Ichigo's classmates to treat her normally. She is about to walk outside when she notices a girl in an identical uniform to herself rushing in the school's direction. Rukia decides she should wait a few more minutes, otherwise she might pull up when some of her classmates are outside. She is beginning to think she should have the car drop her out of sight of the school, which will add another two minutes onto her arrival into the hallway for her introduction after class starts. She watches the clock and finally leaves.

J J J J

Ichigo rubs his head in disinterest when his teacher clears her throat.

"Class! I'm glad to see you all made it back alive after your summer vacation! If you haven't already turned in your homework you have one minute. Do it now." She says. Keigo is the only one who runs up to her with his work.

"Sorry!" Keigo mutters before hurrying back to his seat. Ichigo looks down at his desk. It's going to be a long day.

"We have a transfer student! Everyone, please make her feel welcome. Please come in and introduce yourself!" Rukia walks in and spots Ichigo immediately. He's not paying her any attention though. She makes sure she looks at the rest of the class before speaking. At the sound of her voice, Ichigo's head jerks up.

"I'm Kuchiki Rukia, it's a pleasure to meet you all!" Rukia says in a friendly voice before letting her eyes meet Ichigo's own hugely shocked eyes. Ichigo gulps and stares.

_She's actually here!?_

"Please take a seat next to Kurosaki, he's the one with the absurdly bright hair!" The teacher says, causing Ichigo to blush. He watches she gets closer and closer and his heart beats wildly. She settles in the seat next to him and throws him a smile.

"I promised to see you soon didn't I?" Rukia says very softly under her breath. Ichigo tries to collect himself but he can't. Rukia just sat in the seat next to him.

Inoue is the only one who noticed how the transfer student's eyes lingered the longest on Kurosaki-kun, but she didn't get to see his expression since he sits in front of her. She did know he wasn't staring at his desk anymore like had been before the student had spoken.


	17. Chapter 16: Assigned Guide

Chapter 16

_Assigned Guide_

Ichigo can hardly concentrate as he impatiently waits for lunch to begin. All he wants to do is drag Rukia to a secluded location and kiss her in happiness. He couldn't be happier that she's here, actually taking part in his life, instead of inviting him to come observe or share in her life. His eyes keep swinging over to her which the teacher notices. Just before the lunch bell, she smiles hugely at the class.

"I expect everyone to help out and make Kuchiki-san feel comfortable since she's new here, but I think she should have someone assigned to help her out until she feels comfortable. I think Kurosaki would be perfect for this job, is that okay with you, Kuchiki-san?" The teacher asks. She notices that her orange haired student actually gives a little grin at her announcement and she's ready to drop her chalk. _Kurosaki doesn't smile._

"I trust he will take very good care of me," Rukia says, throwing Ichigo a glance with a beautiful smile to go along with it.

"Any objections, Kurosaki?" The teacher can't resist. Everyone in class leans forward in anticipation of his answer. Ichigo suddenly is aware of this and he forces himself to scowl at the teacher before answering.

"No." Ichigo says in a low tight voice. The teacher smiles just as the lunch bell rings. Rukia stands and looks expectantly at Ichigo.

"I brought my lunch, if you don't mind, I'd like to get to know my guide a little bit better," Rukia says, flashing him a bright smile. Ichigo is confused at this, but then he sees her eyes trail towards a group of his classmates that appear to be hanging on their every word.

"Sure." Ichigo forces himself to say it gruffly and fights the urge to grab her hand as he quickly leads her to somewhere they can have a few minutes of privacy.

Ichigo keeps throwing her glances that tell her he wants to know exactly how she wound up in his classroom, next to him, and having him as her guide. He doesn't think it's possible for life to throw two people together the way they've been thrown together in so many different ways and have it all be coincidental.

He finally leads her to the roof and kisses her like he promised himself he would the next time he saw her, he hadn't been able to fulfill his promise to himself adequately though since it was in his classroom that he'd next seen her.

"Talk." Ichigo tells her. Rukia smiles up at him.

"I thought you'd be happier to see me." Rukia teases him. Ichigo nearly growls as he leans down to kiss her again.

"I just want to know how it's possible that you're here. Explain," Ichigo requests as he looks down into her mesmerizing eyes.

"I planned it all. I wanted to surprise you! I promised you we'd see each other soon, didn't I?" Rukia asks with a pout. Ichigo finds that he's a bit annoyed. He's also overjoyed at her close presence. His happiness overcomes his annoyance.

"I am happy, but I wish you would have let me in on your plans, I would have liked that better." Ichigo tells her honestly.

"That may be true, but the look on your face when you looked up and saw me in your classroom would have never happened. I wish I had a camera!" Rukia says, smiling at him still.

"So where do you live?" Ichigo asks her.

"I'll show you when you walk me home from school." Rukia tells him. Ichigo gives her a grin, though he hadn't wanted to.

"So should I go introduce you to my friends?" Ichigo asks her with a smile. He isn't looking forward to all the attention this will bring to him, but he can put up with it if she's there to make him smile through all the irritating gossip. He's surprised when she grins at him and shakes her head no.

"I don't mind being known as the girl you have to escort around, but I don't want to enter this school with the identity of being your future wife. I think it would be more fun to become friends with everyone and then surprise them. Then you can get a taste of how fun it is to surprise someone!" Rukia tells him. "It's not that I don't want them to know, if you think that then we'll go tell them right now." Rukia says quickly. Ichigo studies her for a minute.

He's being given a chance to postpone his announcement and right now that's not such a bad offer in his opinion. In some ways though, he wants them all to know who she is and that it's hands off for his more perverted friends.

"Sado knows, since he was the one my Dad showed your pictures to, but you don't have to worry about him saying anything. He isn't the talkative type." Ichigo tells her. "If you want to do it this way then I support you." Ichigo tells her as evenly as possible. Rukia nods, glad he's not offended.

"I'm fairly sure you being my escort would be less conspicuous than being known as your intended bride on the first day in a new school for me." Rukia tells him.

"We should probably go hang out with my friends then, so you can start getting to know them." Ichigo says as he grabs her and kisses her one last time before acting like she isn't the love of his life as he hunts down his friends.

"Okay!" Rukia says with relieved laugh. Everything had gone so smoothly, she was practically in disbelief. She wonders if it was her planning or destiny itself that everything had worked out exactly the way she wanted it.

Rukia has a strong suspicion that people will be more open with her if she's only the girl he escorts, rather than his fiancé. She truly does want to get a feel for the people and the school without being identified as being Kurosaki's other half. She wants to know what people will say when he's hanging out with her, paying attention to her, and all the while not knowing how close they really are. She wants to see who his true friends are. She doesn't want anyone to be really guarded with her.

When the time comes to reveal the truth, she will know which of his friends she truly counts as her own. Ichigo has no idea the lengths she goes to protect herself from people, since he's never experienced it firsthand. He has no idea that the traumatizing events of her childhood have made her an extremely guarded person, despite what her reunion with Renji had made it look like. She had no such reservations with Ichigo or his family, but they were an exception to the rule. She usually kept people at a distance so that they didn't have the opportunity to hurt her.

She can't explain why Ichigo is immune to the standoffish factor in her brain. It is probably because he saved her life, but she thinks it's more than that too. She looks at him out of the corner of her eyes. She'll try to explain it to him later, he has the right to know the full reason why she wants to keep their engagement a secret for the time being. She's certain that because he's Ichigo, he'll understand.

"There they are." Ichigo says under his breath, barely moving his lips. "It's going to be hard to act like you don't mean anything to me." Ichigo mutters as he shoves the hand that should be holding Rukia's in his pocket. His other hand holds his lunch, courtesy of Yuzu. Rukia's holding her lunch with both hands as they approach his group of friends.

Ichigo feels a wave of annoyance at the way a couple of his friends eye Rukia's feminine attributes.

"Ichigo, I see you're taking your assignment to help Kuchiki-san seriously," Mizuiro says with a small grin. Ichigo just glares at him. Rukia gives the entire group a very warm smile.

"Kurosaki-kun has been very kind and helpful, I'm surprised at your comment." Rukia says, causing every single person in the group to gawk a bit. Normally, Kurosaki had a tendency to make girls run off crying. Rukia turns and looks up at Ichigo. "Do you normally disobey sensei's requests?" She asks him with an innocently wide eyed stare.

"Only sometimes," Tatsuki answers for him. Ichigo sits down and starts to open his lunch and Rukia unthinkingly plops down right next to him and mirrors his actions. Everyone seems transfixed. Ichigo doesn't even seem to mind that the new student seems to have attached herself to him. It's very unlike him to not mind when a girl is sitting that close to him, not that they're touching, but _still_.

Several girls from other classes have taken note of it as well. Rukia was so busy focusing on Ichigo's immediate friends that she didn't notice the scowls that came from a couple of girls who noted how Kurosaki didn't at all seem to mind this girl being around him, let alone her proximity which is very close.

"So Kuchiki-san, how do you like our school?" Keigo asks in a voice that sounds a little bit too excited, considering his question.

"It's very nice. Everyone has been so kind to me on my first day. I confessed to Kurosaki-kun, and I'll confess to all of you too, I was terribly nervous about starting at a new school. So far, it's been painless!" Rukia says with a smile, before taking a bite of her lunch.

"I've lived here for so long, I can't imagine what it would be like to have to start at a new school," Ichigo says softly right after he swallows a bite of his lunch. Rukia, who is chewing, nods and gives him a quick look. Now everybody is speechless.

Tatsuki stares. _Ichigo just sympathized with a girl? Has hell frozen over?_ Tatsuki watches as Rukia swallows the food she'd been chewing on and she doesn't know what to say when the girl offers him a shy smile.

"Thanks for your help today." Rukia says softly. Inoue does not miss the way her hand barely brushes up against his arm before she reaches forward for her juice pack.

"It's no problem," Ichigo mutters a bit uncomfortably. He has noticed the way his friends are looking at him as though he's just grown a third eyeball in the center of his forehead. He's not acting the usual way, but there was no way he was going to tell Rukia to get the hell away from him. That's what he normally told girls who got too close for his comfort. Rukia may have sat close subconsciously, but she's drawing quite a bit of attention to herself, to them. He knows he'll have to keep a close eye on her considering some of the venomous girls that attend their school.

He quickly eats his lunch as he considers the school year. It promises to be far more interesting than what he thought it would be on the walk to school this morning, but probably far more dramatic too. Since lunch is almost over, all he can really do is anticipate the walk home from school. It seems his life revolves around all the moments he gets to spend with her. He wonders again where she lives. Even if it's on the opposite side of town from his house, he'll still walk her home everyday.

Rukia has started conversing with a couple of girls about the places nearby to shop. Rukia tells the girls that there are things she'd like to buy since she moved into her new home right before school started. When the kids all start standing and gathering their belongings, Rukia knows lunch is over. She and Ichigo stand at the same time and she naturally falls into step next to him as they all start heading back for class.

Inoue and Tatsuki give each other speculative glances.

"I don't think she knows." Inoue says softly to Tatsuki.

"Yeah, I wonder if she would be as nice to him if someone informed her of it." Tatsuki says back. "I won't be the one to do it, but you can bet your ass somebody will." Tatsuki says in a very sure voice.

"I've never seen him be that relaxed as a girl is that close to him." Inoue remarks sadly. She's still a little bit confused as to why it seems Kurosaki is immune to the charms that bring the other men to her in flocks.

"Me either," Tatsuki says a bit tightly. She's known him since he was four years old, and he's never even been that relaxed around _her_ since he hit puberty. _Maybe it's because there's nothing overbearing about the girl. _Tatsuki decides that must be it. She isn't blessed with the overwhelming curves that her friend Orihime is blessed with, but she's got a nice shape, and she's really short and petite. _She looks like she's in really good shape too. I wonder if she does any sports._

"I've never been able to walk beside Kurosaki-kun as he enters the classroom and she's doing it on her first day," Inoue points out as the pair enter the room together and head to their seats, next to each other.

"Maybe he's being nice because she sits next to him." Tatsuki says lamely. Inoue nods sadly but isn't comforted. They enter the classroom several paces behind the others.

Inoue finds that her concentration is on Kuchiki-san rather than the sensei's lecture. She can't figure out why this girl accomplished in less than four hours, what she hasn't been able to accomplish in years, despite all of her wishing. She notices that Kurosaki's body is just slightly leaned in the direction Kuchiki-san is sitting. Every once in awhile, Inoue sees Kuchiki-san glance briefly at Kurosaki-kun before giving the sensei her full attention again.

Inoue has a sinking suspicion that the new transfer student is already developing feelings for the ever distant orange haired boy that haunted her own thoughts day and night. What disturbs Inoue the most is that she gets the sensation that he is drawn to her as well, as was evident at lunchtime when he voluntarily chose to speak to her, and didn't move away from her when she settled so close to him. He also hadn't snapped at her to get away from him either. It wasn't typical behavior for him at all. She would know, considering how often she watches him when he's not looking.

When the end of the day comes, several students are surprised to see Kurosaki appears to actually waiting for the new transfer student to gather her things. He remembers to paste his usual scowl on his face as he stands there. She doesn't make him wait long, she quickly packs her things away and glances up at him with a shy smile.

"Ready?" She asks softly, and he nods his head. They leave the classroom together causing more than one girl's mouth to drop open in shock.

"He's probably just walking her to get her shoes," Tatsuki whispers in Inoue's ear as Inoue appears to be fighting back tears.

"Tatsuki-chan, I have a really bad feeling about this." Inoue whispers back as they slowly make their way to the door.

Ichigo does take Rukia to get her shoes, and then he grabs his own. Now that they're out of the classroom, girls from other classes who know him start noticing that he is hanging out with a girl many of them have never seen before. Some of the girls give especially nasty looks to Rukia's back as the pair passes them, the nastiest looks come from the girls who saw them sitting together at lunch.

When they leave the school and Rukia starts going in the direction towards Ichigo's house, he smiles. At least she's not on the opposite side of town from him. Neither of them realize that many students saw them exit the building and start walking in the same direction together. Within five minutes of their departure, a large number of students already know Kurosaki walked the new transfer student home.

Several girls had added their own thoughts with the traveling news, saying they bet Kuchiki was a total slut, and that Kurosaki was sure to send her running in tears before the week was up. Most of the guys who the news traveled to didn't show much interest.

It was mainly the female population of the school that seemed to eating up the information and while some girls thought that maybe what they heard had been exaggerated, and some figured Kuchiki would be in the doghouse with the rest of them by the end of the week, there were several girls who had already decided Rukia was a slut, and should be regarded as such. There was not one girl among the group who thought for one second that the girl at his side was the girl he was set on marrying.

J J J J

Ichigo grins when Rukia turns up his street. He is holding her hand now that they're not in view of any of his classmates. He wonders how far past his house she lives. His jaw drops open when Rukia starts walking up the pathway of the house directly next to his, on the same side of his house as his bedroom was. All he had to do was look out his side window and he'd be looking at her house.

"Rukia, you moved here? How did I not know?" Ichigo asks in amazement.

"I planned very carefully," Rukia says giving him a grin. She lets go of his hand to unlock and open the front door.

"I can't believe it!" Ichigo says as his mouth remains gaped open. Rukia giggles as she watches his expression.

"I wanted to be as close to you as possible." Rukia says with a happy sigh. Ichigo enters Rukia's home and she gives him the grand tour. When they enter the kitchen, there's a note on the refrigerator door that Shoko has gone out shopping.

"Where are you taking me now?" Ichigo asks as she smiles hugely and starts pulling him up the stairs.

"Since nobody's home, I thought I should show you my bedroom." Rukia says, glancing back at him before continuing to pull him along.

Ichigo feels his body react to the thought of going into her bedroom. She quickly drags him to her door and opens it. Ichigo walks in and immediately notices that everything is already in order. She has the photo from their childhood where Ichigo is kissing her cheek out in plain view, and he sees the jeweled combs he had insisted on so long ago on her dresser. He notices that she has most of the presents he's given her either on her person or out in sight in her room.

Ichigo is still looking around and he doesn't notice that Rukia has walked over to a window and is pulling the shade back.

"Wow, your room is so big." Ichigo says as he looks around. Rukia sighs since he hasn't noticed what she's done yet.

"Ichigo, can you tell me whose bedroom that is?" Rukia asks innocently as she points to what she knows to be his bedroom. Ichigo walks over and looks out and his eyes widen happily.

"It's my bedroom." Ichigo says huskily as he wraps his arms around her as he stands behind her.

"I was hoping you would say that," Rukia says with a smile.

"Liar. You knew I'd say that," Ichigo mutters as he rests his chin on the top of her head. He leans his head forward and breathes in the scent of her hair.

"What makes you so sure?" Rukia asks him happily.

"The way you asked whose bedroom it was, I was sure." Ichigo tells her in a murmur. He loves the silky feel of her hair and the wondrous scent that he breathes in when he smells her hair. Rukia smiles as she truly enjoys the feel of his arms around her like this. It's making her whole back tingle from the sensation of it and she adores the feeling of being snug in his arms like this. She closes her eyes and allows herself to soak up the wondrous feel of Ichigo.

"I'm happy now that we're so close to one another. No more long separations." Rukia says softly as she basks in the wonderful feeling of holding him.

"You have no idea how happy I am." Ichigo says. "You should come eat dinner with my family tonight." Ichigo tells her. Rukia grins.

"I'd like that." She tells him. He steps away from her and he follows her downstairs where she leaves a note for Shoko that she is eating dinner with the Kurosaki family tonight. She had warned Shoko yesterday that she would probably be invited to their dinner. Rukia and Ichigo hurry over to his house and Isshin nearly falls over when he sees her.

"Rukia-chan!" Isshin says with a huge smile.

"You're not going to believe it," Ichigo mutters, but Isshin has run forward to hug Rukia and she laughs.

"Karin-chan! Rukia-chan is here!" Yuzu yells upstairs and Yuzu hurries forward to hug Rukia along with her father.

"Alright, stop trying to crush her," Ichigo says as Rukia finally extracts herself from the grip of Isshin and Yuzu.

"Stay for dinner!" Yuzu says with a joyful smile. Rukia nods her assent and Karin appears.

"Yo," Karin says with a nod.

"Yo," Rukia returns with a grin. Karin smothers a smile and wanders into the kitchen to see what her sister has been preparing. Yuzu runs after her, and shoos her from the kitchen. They both hear Ichigo's next announcement.

"Rukia moved in next door." Ichigo tells his father, who's mouth drops open in amazement. Then he scratches his chin and grins.

"I bet it's completely different considering all the renovations that were being done in the past month. You sly little thing, just like when you were young!" Isshin says, smiling hugely at Rukia. She blushes. "This is sure to make things much more merry around here. I'm glad you're here to stay!" Isshin says smiling happily.

"I didn't want to be far away from Ichigo anymore. I was sure he would be happy when he found out how much life was about to change for us." Rukia says softly. Isshin nods.

"So what school are you going to?" Isshin asks her next.

"She's in the same class as me." Ichigo had said with a smile.

Rukia tells Isshin how the day went and about Ichigo's agreement to hold off announcing their true relationship just yet. She assures Isshin that she didn't plan on hiding it for very long, but that she just didn't want to start out in her new school with the label already on her. She had looked at Ichigo when she had added the rest of her reasons.

Ichigo's eyes had widened a tiny bit at the realization that she didn't blindly trust his friends, but then he remembered that her own uncle had wanted to do unspeakable things to her when she was still such a young child.

He decided to not let it bother him. He's fairly certain she'll like everyone he considers to be a friend, and if she doesn't, and he thinks her reason is acceptable, he'll gladly drop that so-called friend out of his life. He doesn't need friends that make Rukia uncomfortable. He thinks she's endured more than enough tragedy in her life and he'll do anything to alleviate any undue stress on her life. She deserves that much.

Isshin had nodded his head sympathetically. He had understood perfectly and was grateful Rukia hadn't been wary of him since she hadn't seen him in so long.

"I won't give away your secret to any of his friends if they pop by, I'm glad you told me." Isshin had said. Yuzu had stuck her head in to tell them dinner was nearly ready. They all went to the table and sat down and Yuzu started serving dinner. Everyone happily started digging in.

As they were eating, Isshin's eyes lit up as he remembered something.

"There's another video." Isshin had said with a smile. Rukia and Ichigo had looked at him questioningly.

"What?" Ichigo had asked.

"When the girls were born, Rukia was on a visit at our house for your birthday, and I took a lot of video that I was never able to find time to make a copy of due to the time it took to care for two newborn infants. Plus your video is wrapped up in videos of the girls after they were first born, but I think we should all watch, after dinner." Isshin had said. Rukia had nodded happily and Ichigo had agreed as well.

Everybody was anxious to watch and so they all ended up hurrying through the rest of their dinner. The girls ask Rukia how she likes their town so far and Rukia had looked at them with sparkling eyes and told them she liked anyplace that had their brother. Ichigo had blushed and Rukia had giggled with Yuzu.

Isshin finishes eating first and tells them he'll get the video out for them to watch. Rukia helps Yuzu with the dishes, and both Karin and Yuzu's mouths drop open when Ichigo offers to put away the dry dishes.

Things go quickly as Yuzu washes, Rukia dries, and Ichigo puts it all away. Karin can't even remember ever seeing their brother offer to help. It looks like Rukia is a positive influence on her brother. Yuzu is just as shocked and having similar thoughts as she watches Rukia and Ichigo settle next to each other on the couch. Their father offers them a grin as he plays the tape.

Ichigo and Rukia blush as they realize this was the last time they'd seen each other as children. Karin and Yuzu are wide eyed at how huge their mother is in this video.

"Wow she's much bigger than in the last video!" Karin exclaims as she stares.

"You were born in under a week after this scene was shot," Isshin says with a chuckle as he admires how beautiful his late wife was, even in pregnancy.

Ichigo and Rukia both blush at how Ichigo and she hug and exclaim that they've missed each other, and they don't let go. Yuzu smiles and Karin rolls her eyes.

"You guys were so cute!" Yuzu says with a smile as she glances at them, she adds, "and you still are."

They watch as Byakuya carries a big gift into the house and then when they leave it shows Ichigo kissing Rukia.

They watch for a couple of hours until Ichigo insists they stop since it's starting to get late and he still has homework to do. Rukia agrees and Ichigo walks her out of his house and back to her front door. He looks down into her happy eyes and can't help but to grin.

"I'm so happy you're here. You really don't know how happy that makes me." Ichigo tells her. Rukia smiles back at him. "I've been wanting you to be around every day and now you will be."

"It probably makes you as happy as it makes me. Today has been like a dream come true." Rukia admits as she stares up at him, hoping he'll kiss her before she walks inside. Her face is easy to read and Ichigo looks at her lovingly before he leans down and kisses her very thoroughly. When he pulls away he looks at her and grins. Then he leans down to her ear.

"Good night, Rukia. I love you." Ichigo whispers wholeheartedly. Rukia smiles blissfully.

"Good night, see you in the morning. I love you too." She adds softly. Ichigo smiles and doesn't walk back to his house until she closes the door firmly behind her. Ichigo strolls back home with a smile on his face.

He gets his homework done, even though he's completely distracted and falls asleep with a smile on his face as he can't wait to walk her to school in the morning. He grins at the fact that she is in all actuality very close to him as he sleeps.

Rukia's evening was similar. She finished her homework but she found it difficult to concentrate as she worked on it. When she had finally finished, she'd sighed in relief. It was pretty late, but not so late that it would affect her tomorrow.

She shuts off her light and peeks out the window at Ichigo's room. His lights are off and she suspects he finished his homework ahead of her. She knows they probably would have worked on their homework together if they hadn't gotten wrapped up in the video. It had gotten late quick and she had to go home before Shoko's imagination had gotten the best of her. She turns off her own light and lays down, smiling. It doesn't matter that she's at a new school where she doesn't know anybody other than Ichigo. As long as he's by her side, nothing else really matters.

It's with this thought that she realizes hiding their true relationship is kind of stupid, but she wants to at least make it a week without revealing the truth. She hopes she can learn enough about everyone around him to be satisfied in that short amount of time. She really didn't want her first day to be filled with questions about their Omiai though. At least she'll be settled in soon enough and maybe having Ichigo around will make everything in her life easier.

J J J J

Ichigo wakes up and quickly gathers his things together. He woke up a little bit late and he hears the doorbell ring from downstairs as he's grabbing his bag up.

"Ichigo! Rukia-chan is here!" Isshin's voice booms up.

"I'm coming!" Ichigo calls out as he glances around to make sure he hasn't forgotten anything and then dashes down the stairs to meet Rukia. He likes how she looks in his school's uniform. She looks terrific no matter what she has on. He grins at her.

"Hi, ready?" Ichigo says as Yuzu thrusts lunch in his hands.

"There's more in there for Rukia-chan!" Yuzu says sweetly. Ichigo looks at Rukia. How would they explain sharing his lunch? Rukia smiles brightly.

"Thanks Yuzu-chan! I appreciate it. I'm sure Ichigo won't at all mind sharing with me." Rukia says as she looks at his sister happily. Ichigo shrugs. He'll gladly share with her, he doesn't care, she's the one who wanted to keep things secret.

"Bye." Ichigo says as he grabs Rukia's free hand and pulls her out the door.

"Bye!" Yuzu calls out still smiling. She shuts the door and Ichigo looks at Rukia.

"You're really going to share my lunch?" He immediately asks her. She gives him a smile.

"Of course! Yuzu would be insulted if I didn't, wouldn't she? She went to all the trouble to pack extra, and I confess, she's a talented cook. I really enjoyed dinner last night." Rukia says happily.

"What do you want to tell my friends, and our classmates?" Ichigo asks next.

"We are next door neighbors. Your sister went to the trouble of making me feel welcome when she met me and learned you were assigned to help me get used to a new school." Rukia says, thinking it all sounds very logical. Ichigo snorts.

"I will tell you this right now, because I love you. If you want to share my lunch with me then I will happily share it with you. I also think you should know though, that if you share my lunch with me, you will draw a hell of a lot of attention to yourself. I am not known for being friendly with the girls in school," Ichigo admits with a blush.

"I know. You've told me that. I confess I'm interested to see what the reaction will be to you eating your lunch with me considering they're all unaware of our true relationship," Rukia says with a small laugh. Ichigo looks down at her and grins.

"You seem to like causing a bit of trouble. Not unlike me," Ichigo admits with a chuckle before glancing around. No classmates in view yet. He leans down and plants a kiss on her cheek.

"Maybe a little bit. I sensed some hostility directed at me due to being around you all of the time. It's only a matter of time until somebody confronts me." Rukia says.

"Are you looking forward to that?" Ichigo asks, a bit surprised. Rukia lets go of his hand since they're about to turn a corner, and they're bound to see classmates on this street.

"Yeah. Is that wrong?" Rukia asks as she looks up at him with a worried look on her face.

"Nah, I look forward to people who want to confront me for something stupid too." Ichigo confesses, hoping nobody says anything too cruel to her. He doesn't have any clue as to how she'd react if someone attacked her only verbally. He knows she can hold her own in a fight, but what about vicious rumors?

"I had a feeling you might say something like that." Rukia says with a grin. She remembers how badly Ichigo wanted a piece of Renji right after they'd met. She also remembers how he fought the thugs in America with no hesitation. The girls in Ichigo's school don't scare her. She can handle herself.

She smiles as she happily walks to school with Ichigo. They're walking close together, even though they aren't holding hands. As they get closer to school, both Ichigo and Rukia notice the lingering speculative looks they're getting from a lot of students. Rukia raises an eyebrow at Ichigo.

"It starts." Rukia tells him with a small smirk. She's a little surprised it's happening like this, but she doesn't let any of the stares bother her. She feels good when she's with him, and her happiness radiates throughout her whole aura. Ichigo didn't start scowling until he'd noticed three long looks. He could smell a rumor from a mile away. He wonders what in the hell is going on. Mizuiro and Keigo will probably know.

"Wow, we seem to be the center of attention," Rukia says rather cheerfully as they enter the school. Ichigo rolls his eyes as he takes her to change her shoes. They quickly change shoes and head to their classroom.

"When we get to class, go straight to your seat, I'm going to try to talk to a couple of my buddies real quick and find out why we're getting so many hairy eyeballs." Ichigo tells her. Rukia nods. When they enter the classroom, Rukia follows the plan. She goes straight to her seat and waits for Ichigo to come sit next to her. She doesn't look in his direction once as he speaks to his friends. Ichigo had hurried over to Mizuiro.

"Good morning, Ichigo," Mizuiro had said.

"Good morning. You want to tell me why we were getting so many stares?" Ichigo asks his friend. Mizuiro smiles at him sadly.

"You walked her home yesterday, did you not?" Mizuiro asks him.

"It couldn't be helped. She lives next door to me." Ichigo quickly responds. Mizuiro's eyes widen.

"Oh, is that all it is? I was sure you were finally taking interest in a fellow classmate. A cute one for a girl our age too. So you aren't interested in her?" Mizuiro probes. Ichigo just looks at him.

"What?" Ichigo asks in confusion. Mizuiro laughs.

"Don't deny it. You never lets girls near you, and there are plenty of girls who live on your route home that you don't walk home. You can't fool me." Mizuiro says with a knowing smile.

"Shut up." Ichigo responds after a moment of silence. "So all those stares were because I walked her home?" Ichigo reconfirms with confusion.

"I'm sure it probably had something to do with you walking her to school this morning too." Mizuiro tells him. Ichigo nods his head slowly as he considers Rukia's little plan for lunch. He wonders what the looks will be like by the time they walk home if she follows through with her little plan.

"If my sister has her way, then lunchtime will make them delirious." Ichigo predicts worriedly before going and sitting next to Rukia. She glances at him and he gives her a pointed look. He says in a low voice and she leans over to listen. "Us walking to and from school together is why we were being stared at." He tells her. Rukia nods and then gives him a carefree smile.

"Let them stare." She says, giving him a look that tells him she doesn't care what other people think.

_She really is perfect._


	18. Chapter 17: Settling In

**A/N-If anybody reading really loves creepy suspense stories, I highly suggest you read my one of my favorite male authors-Dean Koontz. I wish I could write as creepy of scenes as that guy does! Enjoy!**

Chapter 17

_Settling In_

When the lunch bell finally rings, Ichigo feels relieved. Rukia ends up waiting for him today since he takes a moment longer to get his books into his bag.

"Are we eating in the same spot as yesterday?" Rukia asks him, not caring that several of her female classmates are purposely taking their time to watch their exchange.

"I think so, if not, I know where to find them." Ichigo reassures her. Rukia grins and nods and they head out of the classroom to locate the day's eating area. Today though, Rukia is far more aware of the gazes from the morning rumors, and she realizes Ichigo is as popular among the female student body as she had suspected he might be.

Rukia doesn't know why, but one girl strikes her as downright nasty. Rukia can already tell this girl has major beef with her, and Rukia wonders how long it will be until this girl confronts her. She has a feeling it won't be long. Rukia purposely bumps Ichigo's arm with her own as she passes her. She dares anybody to question her involvement with him.

Ichigo glances at her with a small blush on his cheeks as their arms touch and Rukia thinks he's adorable. She flashes him a grin as they continue on their way and she thinks the nasty girl can just shove it. She and Ichigo walk over to his friends who he locates very quickly.

They all stare as the two approach, all with questions in their minds that not one can voice out loud.

"Yo." Ichigo says as he approaches the group. Rukia's wearing a friendly smile at his side. Inoue stares in depression as the new girl seems to have some sort of friendship established with him, and she finds that she's hoping in her heart that she's just being paranoid and she desperately wants to be wrong.

"Yo," Tatsuki finally says. Ichigo sits down and for the second day in a row, Rukia sits next to him. Everyone watches as Ichigo opens part of his lunch and sets it in between them. He puts the rest in front of himself, and Rukia opens her lunch bag and places it in front of herself.

"What's going on?" Ichigo asks them. Everybody shakes their heads as they notice Rukia looking with delight at the food Ichigo had placed between them.

"Your sister is so sweet!" Rukia says looking up at him with a happy smile. She grabs some of Yuzu's fried chicken and takes a quick bite before making a very happy face. "Oh it's so good," Rukia breathes as she quickly takes another bite.

Every single person in the group's mouth dropped open in complete shock when Rukia took Ichigo's food as though she had a right to. They all let their amazed gazes stay on her momentarily before swinging their gazes to Ichigo. What will he do about this?

Nobody says a word, they can't. Ichigo acts like the new transfer student didn't just stick her hand in his food and take some. He takes a piece too. His eyes widen.

"Wow, it's really good." Ichigo says in agreement. Rukia grins at him. Then they both glance around at all of the gawking faces staring at them. Rukia giggles.

"Kurosaki-kun happens to be my new next door neighbor, and his sister and I talked a long time last night. She told me she would send along some of her famous fried chicken with him so that I could have some at lunch." Rukia explains.

Everyone kind of nods their head as they stare wide eyed at the pair. Ichigo avoids his friends gazes and enjoys Yuzu's chicken. He won't let his friends idiotic faces screw up his lunch.

"You moved in next to Ichigo?" Tatsuki asks, wide eyed. Rukia smiles at her and nods.

"We realized it yesterday when we left school and both kept going in the same direction." Rukia says, still smiling. "It was a pleasant surprise, wouldn't you say so, Kurosaki-kun?" Rukia asks him sweetly. Ichigo glances at her giving her a very quick look to tell her she might be going too far.

"Sure." Ichigo says nonchalantly, hoping his cheeks aren't red.

They are. He closes his eyes as he can feel like heat is radiating off of his face. The worst part is that everybody seems fascinated with the fact that he just blushed. Rukia is oblivious to it, and she doesn't notice Ichigo is reaching for another piece of chicken when she too reaches for one. Their hands touch and then both of them blush.

"Sorry!" Rukia says in a higher voice than usual. Ichigo shakes his head at her. They've both in this moment failed to notice other students staring in their direction from their spots nearby.

"Don't worry about it." Ichigo says. Rukia and Ichigo both flinch when they hears gasps from behind them. Rukia immediately turns her head and she sees several girls with astounded expressions on their face. Ichigo watches Rukia and he sees how her eyes widen and so he follows her direction.

_Shit._

They had attracted far more attention than he had even anticipated. He had understood last winter, after all he had dogged a pretty and promiscuous girl. He had not expected to see so many eyes observing their lunch. He wonders what the rumors will be now. Rukia looks at Ichigo with genuine surprise showing in her eyes.

"Is there something on my hair or back? I feel like there may be with how many people are looking at me." Rukia says. Everybody waits for Ichigo's response but he's beat by Tatsuki.

"It's only partly you. Nobody in hearing distance can believe that he just told you not to worry." Tatsuki supplies. Rukia looks at her in confusion.

"Huh?" Rukia responds not understanding. "Why?" Rukia asks.

"Usually I tell them to beat it." Ichigo tells her in a loud voice. Rukia jerks her head to him and smiles.

"No way." Rukia answers, sounding genuinely shocked. "Thank you for showing me such kind consideration since I'm new here and I'm your next door neighbor. I had no idea you were going to such lengths to help me feel comfortable. I hope I haven't been too much of a bother!" Rukia says, causing all sorts of people to lean their heads closer to the group.

Ichigo wonders if she's having fun. It appears she's having a grand time from where he's sitting. He doesn't really care, but the way things are going, everyone will know the truth about them soon. He wonders if she realizes this.

"No, you don't bother me." Ichigo tells her, and another gasp is heard. Rukia has to force herself not to giggle. She is really enjoying eating lunch with him, even if they did have an audience.

"Anyways, there has to be more to talk about than the two of us," Rukia says brightly to the group.

"No, that's all the talk today." Keigo pipes up. Everyone finally laughs, although a bit uncomfortably.

"Actually, Kuchiki-san, I've been wondering, you look athletic, did you do any sports at your old school?" Tatsuki asks with interest. Rukia grins at her.

"Gymnastics and some martial arts training." Rukia answers. Ichigo closes his eyes so that everyone doesn't see him rolling his eyes. She's a very talented martial arts artist, he doesn't know why she's downplaying it.

"Really? I have studied karate most of my life. Maybe you could join the karate club!" Tatsuki says excitedly. Rukia shakes her head.

"Sorry, I didn't study karate." Rukia says apologetically.

"So what kind of martial arts have you studied?" Tatsuki asks next. Rukia grins at her again.

"Kickboxing and a variation of jiu-jitsu. I lived for a long time in America, and kickboxing was popular among a lot of girls." Rukia tells her.

"America? Wow." Tatsuki says. A lot of other people sitting with them nod too.

"Tell us about America!" Keigo says excitedly. Rukia smiles.

"It's different from here. Public displays of affection are far more common there, and the government is very different as well. In some ways it's a relaxed country and in other ways it's an uptight country. I was born in Japan and I was in America for many years, but I've noticed how foreigners try to live their lives here and they're always outsiders. It's not like that in America, at least it wasn't for me. The people I met were very friendly, nice, and accepting of the fact that I was not an American. I enjoyed the time I spent there, but this here, is home." Rukia answers carefully.

She is well aware that many people who would praise America too much might be told to go back there if it's so great. Which she wouldn't mind doing as long as she can bring a cute orange haired guy back with her.

"What else?" Mizuiro asks.

"There's a lot of international trade there, and women act a little differently there too." Rukia tells Mizuiro. This peaks his interest.

"Really? What are American girls like?" He asks her.

"In some ways they're exactly like Japanese girls, but in America, women are encouraged to do well in companies, work past the office, and work past the age of thirty. A woman who's a mother and still works is very normal in America. Omiai is unheard of for American girls, and being married more than once or getting married past the age of twenty five isn't looked down on in general." Rukia tells them. Some of the girls get wide eyed at the mention of marriage and they immediately look at Kurosaki, remembering he is engaged already.

"Are there many guys who are already engaged by the time they're sixteen?" Keigo asks in a funny voice. Ichigo shoots him a death glare, and Rukia grins at Keigo.

"That is not typical in America." Rukia answers softly with a small blush.

"Shut up, Keigo." Ichigo says before he can respond. Rukia glances at Ichigo.

"Aw, come on, Ichigo, I was just going to tell Kuchiki-san that- Ow! That hurt!!" Ichigo had shut him up by throwing a piece of fruit at his head.

"I warned you didn't I?" Ichigo asks him in a threatening voice.

"Wow, you have a great arm!" Rukia says in an impressed voice. She hears a few guffaws. Ichigo grins.

"Thanks." Ichigo says, trying not to laugh.

"Even I have to admit that was pretty nice," Tatsuki says with a chuckle. Keigo sits up rubbing his face.

"You're too violent." Keigo grumbles.

The conversation finally swings away from them. When the bell rings though, Ichigo gets all kinds of attention back on them without even meaning to. He stood up quicker than Rukia, and without even thinking about it, he offered her his hand to help her up. He realized what he did when he heard a few girls yelling.

"No way! I can't believe it!" Comes from behind him. Ichigo blushes, but Rukia had accepted his offer with a smile, and held onto his hand just a second longer than necessary once standing.

"Damn it." Ichigo mutters under his breath. Rukia smiles as they walk towards class. Ichigo meticulously avoids all eyes that are staring in his direction, and Rukia doesn't seem to be the least bit concerned. Ichigo suddenly remembers that Rukia didn't state her true style of martial arts. She sees him glancing at her questioningly.

"What?" Rukia asks him.

"Why didn't you tell Tatsuki your style is Gracie Jiu-jitsu? Ichigo asks. Rukia gives him a weak smile.

"The only time I broadcast my training is in an actual competition, or to close family members. Part of the effectiveness of the technique is that the moves are completely unexpected. You and your family are the only ones I want knowing my true style. I don't do any competitions in the town I live in, either." Rukia explains. Ichigo nods his head.

"I see. Tatsuki is one of few people who could appreciate your talent though, that's why I asked." Ichigo explains.

"She seems cool, she reminds me of a couple of American girls I used to know. You can tell she's spent many years training by the pride in her voice when she talks about karate." Rukia says with a smile. They walk into class together and sit at their seats.

Once again, Inoue is behind with Tatsuki.

"He actually offered her a hand and helped her up. I wouldn't even believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes! I think he likes her, Tatsuki-chan." Inoue says with a small sniff.

"It's hard for me to believe too." Tatsuki says, as she can offer no words of comfort or explanation for Ichigo's actions besides Inoue's belief.

"He told her she didn't bother him too." Inoue whispers.

"I know." Tatsuki says with a sigh. _Damn that Ichigo. Didn't he say he was engaged? Why is he stringing along the new girl anyways?_ If he has to break her best friend's heart, shouldn't it be over the girl he's actually engaged to? This girl has spent a lot of her life in America, and even though she has martial arts background, she just isn't the kind of girl Tatsuki ever imagined Ichigo would end up with.

Tatsuki sits in her seat and Inoue heads over to her own. Tatsuki continues to contemplate what in the hell is going on with Ichigo and Kuchiki-san.

She's so small, cheerful, and almost clingy. Sure she's cute, with modest curves, and knock out eyes, but Tatsuki can see nothing extraordinary about her that would make Ichigo act the way he's been acting. It was obvious he didn't want his engagement brought up in front of her, so what does it all mean? Will he ditch the girl he planned to marry for this transfer student? Will he use the new transfer student to experiment sexually with? Tatsuki blushes as she has this thought.

She wants to ask him, but it's not like she's close enough to the new girl to claim to be looking out for her. She might be able to get away with it though if she has a conversation with the girl. She wonders when on earth she would get such an opportunity.

Class seems to lag on for most of the students, and when it finally ends, there is a collective sigh of relief from many students in the class. Ichigo glances at Rukia who is ready to go very quickly. He forces himself to scowl as they walk out of the classroom next to each other.

"Want to work on our homework together?" Rukia asks him softly when they're in the hall.

"Sure." Ichigo says as he hurries towards the area to get their shoes. Rukia stops partway to their destination.

"I want to wash my hands real quick. Will you wait for me?" Rukia asks. Ichigo nods. Rukia runs into the girl's restroom and turns on the faucet. The girl she had noticed earlier and taken note of is in the stall, although Rukia doesn't know it. There are several other girls in the bathroom too, a couple of whom were talking to each other when she walked in but had stopped at her entry. Rukia glances in the mirror at the girls around her and she hears a toilet flush. Rukia glances towards the stall when it opens and sees her.

The girl sees her too. She immediately takes some swift strides to the sink next to the one Rukia is at.

"You're the new girl that barely leaves Kurosaki's side." It's a statement, not a question. She turns on the faucet.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are." Rukia responds as sweetly as possible. Rukia turns off the faucet and steps away from her to the paper towels.

"_I'm_ the girl who's going to break your heart. The guy you've been so glued to is _already taken_." She says snottily as she soaps her hands. She looks at Rukia to gain her reaction.

"That doesn't mean he can't help me get used to the new school." Rukia says back.

"Just so long as you know you're out of your league." The girl practically sings as Rukia tosses out her paper towel.

"Shouldn't that be up to Kurosaki-kun to decide?" Rukia challenges softly. The other girls all gape.

"You think that _you_ have a chance with Kurosaki?" The girl says in a maliciously sarcastic voice.

"Just because you don't, doesn't mean I don't too." Rukia snaps at her in an irritated tone.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" The girl takes a step closer.

"One hell of a nosy bitch." Rukia retorts with a snort. The other girls gasp.

"I will laugh when he treats you like he does all the others. I will laugh in your face!" The other girl hisses angrily before flinging her wet hands out at Rukia and stalking out of the room. Rukia just sighs. _All talk_. Rukia is surprised when she walks out and sees Ichigo looking concerned.

"What's wrong?" Rukia asks him.

"That girl that just walked out of the bathroom is known for spreading nasty rumors." Ichigo replies.

"She's pathetic." Rukia tells him with a grin. They hurry to get their shoes and to get the hell out of school.

They walk back to Rukia's house together first so she can let Shoko know she'll be doing her homework with Ichigo. When he leads her into his bedroom, she is pleasantly surprised by the black and white photo of Rukia as a child feeding Ichigo a strawberry.

"What a beautiful photo!" Rukia squeals. Ichigo grins at her.

"I have this one too." Ichigo says, pointing at the picture of Rukia whispering in his ear as a little girl. Rukia walks over to admire it.

"I'm so happy right now." Rukia whispers very softly. She's so quiet, Ichigo doesn't even hear her.

"I have to confess, I like your more recent strawberry photo even better." Ichigo says a bit sheepishly. Rukia looks at him and grins.

"I've been put on notice about you." Rukia finally tells him. She hadn't wanted anybody at school to overhear this conversation.

"What?" Ichigo asks in surprise.

"I've been warned that you're taken, out of my league, and that I don't stand a chance with you. I was also told that when you do treat me like the other girls, that I'll get laughed at." Rukia admits. Ichigo stares at her.

"It was that bitch wasn't it?" Ichigo asks, not really needing an answer.

"Why don't you call her by her name?" Rukia asks, curious to know the girl's name.

"I don't remember what it is," Ichigo admits in a sheepish grunt. "I've never been good with that stuff." Ichigo mutters. Rukia wants to laugh. The girl hadn't given her name even when Rukia had given her an opening to give it. Instead, she'd announced herself as the girl who would break Rukia's heart. Rukia decides she definitely wants to be present when the stuck up bitch finds out the truth.

"I suppose bitch suits her well enough," Rukia says with a firm nod. Ichigo glances at her. He grabs her hand and pulls her close before giving her a gentle loving kiss on the lips.

"You're the only girl I could ever love. The truth is, I told her off pretty badly last winter. She wanted to date me, you know be the girl who was able to do what no other girl had done. I rejected her though, and when I did, she started spreading rumors that I was into guys. I had a confrontation with her in front of a ton of students, and I told her the reason I don't date is because I'm engaged. I might have insulted her virtue or the lack thereof too." Ichigo finally admits it. "That's how everybody knows I'm engaged."

Rukia looks at him wide eyed and then she laughs. She can't even imagine the facial expression that girl would have at being told those things.

"Tell me Ichigo, what kind of face did she make while you were telling her off?" Rukia asks with a giggle. Ichigo grins at her.

"She was completely red, and she ran home crying." Ichigo says, laughing at the way Rukia giggles.

"She's a really pretty girl." Rukia comments as she thinks of the girl's long black hair that fell perfectly straight to near the middle of her back. She was nearly as tall as Ichigo too. She was slim and would probably make a great model if she could ever manage a smile rather than a sneer. She probably wasn't all that great at handling rejection. Ichigo probably humiliated her beyond belief. Rukia thinks it's a shame that after feeling such humiliation she would get satisfaction out of another girl feeling that way.

"The moment you see her true personality, you can't see her as pretty." Ichigo says. Rukia shakes her head.

"No, I know what you're saying but that girl could easily be a model if she ever smiled." Rukia insists. "She must have been really surprised the first time she showed you interest and you…" Rukia trails off, realizing she doesn't know this part. She glances up at Ichigo, waiting for him to supply the story.

"I don't really remember, it wasn't like I paid her a lot of attention. From what I recall, she was trying to talk to me and I told her to take a hike." Ichigo says, as he scratches his head.

They start pulling out their books and Rukia sits Indian style on his bed. Ichigo sits in his desk chair facing her and enjoying the sight of her on his bed. They work diligently until it's time for dinner. They're almost finished with their homework though, so they're both in decent moods.

Isshin of course is delighted to see Rukia is over for dinner, seeing as how he already considers her part of the family.

"Yuzu-chan! Thank you for your wonderful fried chicken! It was so delicious I think it was the best lunch I've ever had," Rukia says with a sincere smile.

"Really? I'm so glad you liked it!" Yuzu says excitedly.

"Rukia-chan, is Ichigo behaving himself around you?" Isshin asks as he takes a bite of dinner and smiles at the joy of good tasting food. Rukia blushes.

"Of course!" Rukia answers before taking a bite of her own food.

"Shut up, old man." Ichigo says casually before eating some of his dinner.

"He'd better." Isshin says to Rukia, ignoring Ichigo. Rukia winks at Isshin.

"You think I'd let him do anything else?" She asks mischievously and Isshin claps his hand over his heart.

"You had better hold on tight and never let go!" Isshin says to Ichigo with a proud and happy smile. "Love like that only comes once in a lifetime." Isshin says before getting uncharacteristically sad for a mere instant. The whole family noticed it though and everyone falls silent.

"Even if he lets go, I'll keep holding on," Rukia finally says softly.

"That is so romantic!" Yuzu squeals. Karin faithfully rolls her eyes.

"I'm trying to eat here. Try not to make me puke." Karin's voice is ignored by all.

"We're taking our dinner upstairs now. We have homework to finish." Ichigo says, blushing madly. Isshin nods when he sees Rukia is blushing too. He'll let them off the hook for now. Since they're doing homework. They work diligently for about an hour until they're done. They grin at each other when they're finally putting away the books. Rukia had resumed her position on the bed and had carefully eaten while working and had not spilled a crumb. Her empty plate is now on the floor with her empty cup, and Ichigo decides to sit next to her.

"I like having you here." Ichigo says huskily to her as he leans over and plants a long kiss on her ear. He smiles with satisfaction at her telltale shiver of pleasure.

"I like being here." Rukia says softly to him, enjoying the feel of spending her evening with him. It's such a wonderful feeling, and she doesn't think she'll ever get enough of it. It feels like her blood is rushing through her veins at a much faster rate than usual.

"I think we put everyone into shock at lunch by sharing that fried chicken," Ichigo says with an amused smile.

"They're all in shock that you aren't telling me to get the hell away from you. They don't understand what's so special about me." Rukia says softly. She thinks Ichigo might be the only one in this town who sees her as something special. She's glad for that. She'd rather have him, than a million people thinking she's special.

J J J J

"You'll never guess what I just saw on the internet." Aizen says on the phone to his old friend Gin.

"No idea. What's it going to cost me for you to tell me?" Gin asks lazily.

"You insult me when I make an international call? Never mind, Kuchiki Rukia placed in a gymnastics competition for young ladies recently. She's only fifteen and she's really tiny, probably because she's a gymnast." Aizen says.

"Really?" Gin asks, sounding a bit interested. "I still have the portrait, you know."

"I've sent some men to the house she was living at when she was in the competition since her address was ridiculously easy to get being who I am and saying I wanted to write a letter of congratulations to the girl, they gave me her address. You know Kuchiki though, he's always moved her around a lot. Every time we got close we ended up with a dead end.

"You make sure you call me if you find anything." Gin says with happiness.

"She doesn't look exactly like a child. She's more my type now. If my men see a chance to grab her, they will. She will be immediately brought to my underground chamber and be restrained. If they ascertain she's still living in that mansion, they'll break in and grab her in her sleep. If she's there, she'll soon be ours." Aizen says in a voice that shows no emotion.

"What do I need to come there for if she's yours?" Gin asks next.

"You'll be receiving a packet soon. It will be your new identity. I expect you to get the surgery taken care of and get back here in time. You never know, there could be children. I don't want to love the girl, I want to own her. I want nothing to do with children. I thought I was being most generous in offering to help you come back here." Aizen says in a very low and amused voice.

"You were. Very generous indeed. I graciously accept your offer. Lets hope this doesn't turn out like it did twelve years ago." Gin says before hanging up the phone. He still stares at the phone in surprise. "Damn Aizen, you're the very best at being evil." Gin says in amazement before hoping with all of his heart that Rukia still lives in the mansion that she was living in for the competition. He wouldn't mind scaring her a little bit for thwarting his plans so many years ago.

Gin falls asleep with a disturbingly evil smile on his face, and Aizen contemplates what it will be like to own a firm and tiny gymnast. The last couple of girls he'd kept in his underground chamber hadn't been able to last. There were two hidden graves two cities away that he had to dig by himself after he'd been too rough with yet another pet.

Aizen hadn't told Gin one little thing. He had ordered his men to kidnap a servant and torture the information of Kuchiki Rukia's whereabouts if they don't spot her in the next twenty four hours.

Aizen sighs with frustration. He loves to break teenage girls and young women. He especially likes to break them when they're tiny and petite. The problem is then they're too frail for his very rough treatment, both in breaking their minds, spirits, and then finally their bodies. He has to be careful not to get caught, and so he employs a few guys who owe him their lives for giving them alibis to kidnap the girls for him. It's not because he thinks bigger women are stronger that he doesn't prefer them, they just don't mesh with his personal taste.

His last victim had been really great. He had asked her what her name was the day she'd arrived there and she'd answered him that her name was Hinamori Momo. He had informed her that she would be spending the rest of her life serving his desires. He had also told her with a very comforting smile that he would give her some time to get used to this idea. He had told her that she should try to be strong so that she could make him happy for a long time. He smiles every time he remembers her outraged gasp.

He had proceeded to remove her clothes from her body and then he'd hosed her down like a dog. He could tell by the way her clothes were torn that she'd already been raped. He didn't want the men's sweat and bodily fluids to stay on her so he had been forced to clean her off. He had offered her no clothing, but she had been given a thick blanket which covered her body. She had been chained to a bed immediately after being hosed down. He'd covered her with a blanket and had left her alone for a full day. He had been so full of excitement and anticipation. Her eyes had been defiant, and he could not wait to break her.

Both of the girls that had been delivered to him previously had been sixteen years old, and both had been petite, and both had been raped by his men during their kidnapping. Aizen had refrained from sex immediately with both, and had instead informed them of the life they'd lead. He hadn't had them at the same time either, although that thought of such a thing tickles at his brain. He wouldn't mind having a whole harem of girls, but he can't risk getting caught. These kinds of things require a certain meticulous level of planning and care, not to mention people you can depend on.

Aizen is a world class psychologist. He is a master at bending minds to his will, and he's stunned at the level of stupidity that seems to claim most people. He finds it amazingly easy to manipulate any situation to his will, except maybe for the death of his previous conquests. He'd only regretted their deaths in that he no longer had someone to break and for him that was when he was at his happiest. He never mourned their lives or thought of them as human. He stares at the picture of Kuchiki Rukia with her arms formed into a V as she has completed some gymnastics exercise. Maybe since she's a gymnast, her body will outlast her mind and spirit.

Aizen doesn't sleep that night, he starts developing a detailed itinerary for Rukia's arrival for her first week in his presence. He plans on having her in his underground chamber before the week was up.

For as smart and perceptive as Aizen is, he never notices the orange haired boy in the background looking at Rukia like she's worth more than all the diamonds in the world.

J J J J

Kuchiki Byakuya scowls as he listens to the frantic message on his voicemail. Apparently at his mansion near the city, one of his servants noticed a prowler. She swears in her message that she didn't act like she saw the prowler though. Byakuya scowls. This isn't the first time it's happened, but he's never told Rukia.

One of Hisana's dearest wishes after she'd found Rukia had been to please keep her free of the horror she had to experience the night their mother died. Hisana never wanted Rukia to fear the bad men ever again, and Byakuya had gone so far as to hire undercover private investigators, and even have secret body guards in place whenever it seemed like she was being watched.

Amazingly, she'd been able to live without harassment in America. She was even a little bit Americanized, and a bit more outspoken than most young girls her age who'd grown up in Japan. Byakuya has a sneaking suspicion he knows what has caused this. He does a quick search on the internet and sees Rukia's gymnastics competition come up as the most recent article under her name.

Byakuya calls a private investigator that he keeps on retainer to look into it, and he sighs in frustration. He hadn't wanted her to enter the damned thing, but he'd felt relatively safe with her moving within two weeks of it. Plus most of her things had been moved into her next address on the day of the competition. He felt fairly confident that Rukia's whereabouts aren't known to whoever is after her now.

He had six secret body guards watching the area around the mansion for her remaining time at the mansion, and he had stayed there as well. Nothing had happened and he had breathed a sigh of relief when she moved into Karakura Town. What about these prowlers though? Did they just arrive, or did they notice another move was taking place? Byakuya frowns as he considers the best way to protect Rukia from this danger.

Byakuya thinks about it and finally decides to call Abarai Renji. He'll feel even more of a sense of peace if Rukia has a strong friend living in the area and he's sure that her friend won't mind the sum of money he's willing to pay to move Renji there comfortably. He won't move him on the same street as Rukia and Ichigo, but fairly close. Byakuya does a lot of research before making the call. He's not really all that surprised when the kid accepts enthusiastically.

He's always seemed to have a crush on Rukia, that was in many of the reports from her servants. As much as Byakuya hadn't been around Rukia, he had always protected her. Even if she was unaware of the lengths he went for her, he had loved Hisana far too much to ever let anything bad happen to Rukia. She had only seen his protective side in full force recently at the Miai. She'd probably be shocked to the core if she knew the truth.

He knows she's spending a lot of time with Kurosaki and suddenly Byakuya is really glad he was able to get the house next door to the kid for Rukia. He was obviously a naturally talented and well schooled martial artist. Byakuya doesn't doubt that he would protect Rukia.

Byakuya doesn't know why Gin is still obsessed with her, she no longer has the body of a small child, and it's obvious that she's turning into a young woman despite her small size.

"I won't let you down, Hisana." Byakuya says to his wife's picture before laying down to sleep.


	19. Chapter 18: Ice Cream Party

Chapter 18

Ice Cream Party

Rukia grins as she remembers last night. Ichigo had kissed her so many times. He had kissed her neck, her face, and her lips. When he'd been about to progress things further though, his sisters had dashed upstairs and they'd been forced to quit. She still remembers the look in his eyes as he had caught his breath in the mounting excitement. He hadn't been alone either. The degree in which he affected her, never ceased to shock her. She didn't want to leave the warmth and safety of his arms.

He had walked her to school again too. She already knew there wouldn't be a day where she had to walk alone. He acts as in love with her as she is with him. She doesn't let the girl from yesterday bother her today. Rukia can care less about her since Ichigo doesn't count her as a friend. She's just someone who goes to their school.

Rukia eyes the clock. She's looking forward to sitting with Ichigo and his friends today. She doesn't know how much longer she'll be able to keep their engagement under wraps, but she hopes it lasts a little bit longer. Being here with him is way better than what she could have imagined. Nothing compares to the way he meets her eyes with his different gazes. The one of longing, the one of love, and her favorite, the one of adoration.

She feels like she could just start flying at any moment from all of the euphoric feelings threading throughout her body, all because of Kurosaki Ichigo. The name always slides off her tongue before she falls asleep these days. She wonders how much longer she can sit still with her body doing cartwheels inside. Rukia breathes an exaggerated sigh of relief when the bell signaling lunch finally rings.

Ichigo seems to notice her restlessness, she thinks perhaps it's because he feels it as well. He finally offers her a grin in front of her classmates, not really worried about acting in front of them after sharing lunch with her. He doesn't hold her hand, but he doesn't scowl either. Rukia grins back.

"Ready?" Rukia asks, carrying her lunchbox. Ichigo notices she has attached the rabbit's foot he gave her to her bag. He hadn't noticed that the previous days. He wonders if she's had it attached since her first day there. When they get to the spot with Mizuiro and Keigo, Rukia notices his friend Tatsuki isn't there yet.

Ichigo and Rukia sit down simultaneously and they sit next to each other. The shock factor seems to have worn off in her present company and Rukia smiles at that. Perhaps she'll finally start getting to know a little bit more about his friends.

"We should all go get ice cream after school. I could use a treat. It's going to be a long afternoon." Keigo whines. Mizuiro nods."Only if I can bring my newest girlfriend. I promised to see her after school," Mizuiro tells him. Sado nods. There's always cute girls at the ice cream shop and he likes cute girls. Tatsuki and Inoue appear.

"It's settled! We're all going for ice cream after school!" Keigo says happily. Inoue breaks out into a big smile, she could use some ice cream after the past few stressful days she's had. Tatsuki notices the look on Inoue's face and quickly volunteers them as well.

"We'll go too." Tatsuki says, causing Keigo's smile to grow even wider."It'll be a party! What about you Kuchiki-san? Ichigo?" Keigo asks with a lovesick smile on his face. Rukia smiles back.

"I love ice cream." Rukia says softly.

""I could go for a hot fudge." Ichigo says immediately afterwards. Rukia busies herself opening her lunch to avoid any suspicious stares. She's surprised when Tatsuki sinks next to her and then Inoue sits on the other side of Tatsuki.

"What's your favorite kind of ice cream, Kuchiki-san?" Tatsuki asks. Rukia smiles at her. Rukia is very grateful Tatsuki didn't ask what her favorite dessert was, if she had, Rukia would have told her that it was strawberry shortcake. Luckily for Rukia, she has never much liked strawberry ice cream since to her it has an imitation taste. She likes true strawberry tastes, so she can answer this question without blushing.

"I don't know if I have a favorite, I have a few kinds I especially like." Rukia admits. "I like chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, I like cookies n cream, and I love moose tracks." Rukia tells them. She wonders if the ice cream shop in Karakura Town has these flavors. "I also like hot fudge sundaes and mint chocolate." Rukia adds after a moment of thought. Everyone trades a quick glance. It seems the attraction is mutual, as if they hadn't already realized.

"I'm coming for ice cream too!" Chizuru sits down on Inoue's other side.

"Yes, it sounds like fun!" Says Michiru, though she says it timidly. Rukia smiles.

"You weren't kidding when you said it would be a party for once," Mizuiro says with a smile. Ichigo is happy too. He would like to take her around Karakura Town a bit. She deserves to be taken out on a date after the great time she showed him in America. Ichigo feels a bit bad that school has gotten in the way of him doing something really special with her yet.

"Now the afternoon will take even longer to pass!" Keigo whines. Tatsuki quietly taps Rukia on the arm and gets her attention while everyone else if more focused on Keigo.

"Have you went and bought the things you needed like we talked about the other day?" Tatsuki asks. Rukia smiles.

"Yes, I meant to thank you all for your suggestions too." Rukia says to the girls. The guys grumble. They're not going to talk about shopping.

"Have you gotten a chance to see a lot of the town yet?" Tatsuki asks. Rukia nods.

"A little bit. I like it here." Rukia tells her, before taking a bite of her food. Kunieda looks up, after not having said anything to Rukia in the past few days.

"I heard you had a confrontation with Itou Noriko," Kunieda says casually to Rukia. Ichigo quickly looks up, he had hoped nobody would say anything to Rukia, but everyone seems to quiet down at what Kunieda had said and were now awaiting Rukia's response.

"Yes, yesterday, right after class, she and I had words in the bathroom." Rukia says, wondering where this is going.

"I heard you called her one hell of a nosy bitch, and I just want to tell you, nice job!" Kunieda says _nice job_ in English and everyone breaks out into smiles. Rukia blushes and smiles.

"Did you really do that?" Tatsuki asks incredulously, since she hadn't believed one word of the rumors. Rukia nods her head yes.

"Wow, I didn't think you had it in you! She's annoying." Keigo says appreciatively. He still hasn't gotten over the way that girl had snubbed him. He had tried talking to her and she had called him a disgusting little fool. He had never gotten over the put down, and encouraged anybody to put her in her place. He had especially praised Ichigo last winter and asked nonstop questions about his fiancé.

"I'm impressed," Tatsuki says with a quick look of admiration. Inoue looks around at the group.

"You called her that?" Ichigo asks her in a low and disbelieving voice. "You called her one hell of a nosy bitch?" Ichigo asks with wide eyes. Rukia flashes him a victorious smile.

"I'm just full of surprises." Rukia says with a small laugh.

"I wish I'd been there." Tatsuki says with a grin. "I would have loved to have seen it." She adds, smiling at the thought of Itou's reaction to Rukia calling her that.

"She didn't take it very well. She flicked her freshly washed wet hands at me," Rukia says with a laugh. Everyone else laughs too.

"Talking about me?" A female voice says from behind them. Everyone gives each other a look. Why hadn't anyone seen her coming?

"You did make a spectacle of yourself." Ichigo says back in an annoyed voice. "Beat it, nobody wants you here." Ichigo says, giving her an angry look.

"Yeah, _everyone_ is talking about it." Tatsuki says with a loud snicker. "You sure do get told off a lot for such a hot shot don't you?" Tatsuki's words make Keigo smile hugely, until Noriko sits next to him and puts her arm around him.

"Keigo wants me here, don't you Keigo?" She asks him. Keigo gulps and Ichigo give him a death glare.

"I wouldn't want to make everyone uncomfortable, so please get off me and go somewhere else." Keigo says against his will at Ichigo's threatening look.

"I guess that means our date this weekend if off then. I'll have to find someone else to have come hang out with me while my parents are out of town." Noriko says with a disappointed sigh.

Keigo takes the plunge. As Noriko is about to step away, Keigo smacks her butt and grabs her around the waist, setting her in his lap.

"I'll definitely be there this weekend. For the _whole_ weekend." Keigo says in a loving croon.

"Your friend must have a thing for sluts." Rukia says just a tiny bit too loudly, eliciting a loud enraged gasp from Noriko. Everyone with the exception of Rukia, Keigo, and Noriko bust out into heart pounding laughter, the kind that hurts your stomach from laughing so hard.

Noriko jumps out of Keigo's lap and stands directly in front of him with her eyes blazing at Rukia. She fails to notice that Keigo is casually leaning forward to peek up the back of her skirt. Everyone except for Noriko sees it and they keep on laughing. Mizuiro is crying he's laughing so hard.

"Stop it! I'm going to pee! I'm seriously going to pee!" Mizuiro is squeaking out, and Ichigo is trying to get a hold of himself since it appears a confrontation is brewing. Ichigo wonders why Rukia doesn't stand. She looks ready to jump up at any moment and fight but she's still sitting.

"Do you have something to say to me?" Noriko asks furiously and Keigo has a look of heaven on his face from whatever he sees from his position from below and behind Noriko.

"You're pathetic." Rukia says back in an icily calm and irritated voice.

"You're the one who's pathetic, attaching yourself like a leech to Kurosaki, a guy who's already engaged!" Noriko snaps back at Rukia, taking a small step forward. Keigo crawls forward a bit to keep his view. Rukia's having a really hard time keeping a straight face with Keigo's antics.

"I choose who I'm around. Who the hell are you to tell anybody they can't be around me?" Ichigo asks Noriko in an annoyed voice.

"Furthermore, Kurosaki-kun's life is none of your business." Rukia adds, and Ichigo nods his agreement wholeheartedly. "What right do you have to question anything we do?" Rukia asks in a low and angry voice. Keigo keeps inching his face closer and closer to Noriko's thigh.

"You should worry more about Keigo than Kuchiki-san," Tatsuki finally says with another burst of laughter. Noriko whirls around only to give Keigo a frontal view of what's under her skirt. His eyes widen at the sight and he lets out a breathless little sigh. Everyone is snickering, nobody can stop as Noriko's face turns completely red.

"I like those." Keigo says moronically. Noriko sighs. She takes a step back and gives Keigo a look of annoyance, since she isn't sure if she still needs him. She decides she might and so when Keigo jumps to his feet, she links her arm through his.

"I want to be alone with you for the last five minutes of lunch." Noriko says to him. Keigo, always looking for an opportunity, leans over and whispers in her ear."Only if when we get some place alone, you let me kiss you and feel you up while we do." He says, feeling like he has the upper hand. Noriko sighs in defeat.

"Fine." She answers him sharply. He looks at her suspiciously.

"If it isn't good, I'll walk away." He warns her. Noriko gives him her best smile. She's going to need an opportunity to get Kuchiki alone, and Keigo was looking like her best opportunity to do so. Noriko grins when she thinks Keigo might even lead her to someone better if she uses him, Kurosaki Ichigo.

"It will be a preview for this weekend, so hurry!" She hisses in his ear. Keigo allows himself to be dragged away with a lovesick look in his eyes.

"Wow, she's really gross." Ichigo says with relief as Keigo and Noriko walk away.

"What do you suppose Keigo whispered in her ear?" Mizuiro asks with a smile.

"I do _not _want to know!" Tatsuki says holding up her hands. Inoue looks on wide eyed and Rukia takes one last bite of her lunch. Ichigo glances at her and realizes she wasn't concerned about Itou.

"I can't wait for ice cream." Rukia says brightly. Everyone brightens up, remembering their earlier plans. Nobody really wants to think about what Keigo is doing with that girl.

Keigo doesn't return to class in the afternoon. Rukia and Ichigo eye each other at that realization.

Class actually goes by quickly in the afternoon and everyone gathers to walk to the ice cream shop.

"I wonder if the person who started this party will show?" Mizuiro asks, wondering why on earth Keigo never came back today.

Ichigo shrugs. He's more concerned about how he's going to pay for Rukia's ice cream without having it be the center of attention between all of his friends. They're already walking next to each other, plus it seems everyone decided to come along, including Kunieda, and Inoue's friend from handy crafts club Ishida.

Rukia seems completely unconcerned about everything. She's on cloud nine spending day in and day out with Ichigo. She can't wait to eat ice cream with him and his friends. She really has a good feeling about all of them, although she thinks she should be wary around the perverted Keigo. A few of the girls are quiet and more mysterious, like Tatsuki's curvy friend and the girl who'd asked her about her confrontation with Itou.

"Kuchiki-san, that's a really cute furry rabbit's foot! I love that it's pink!" Inoue says, all of a sudden, upon noticing the rabbit's foot attached to Rukia's bag.

"It was a good luck present for one of my competitions." Rukia says with a grin.

"Competition?" Tatsuki asks with interest.

"I was in a martial arts competition in America, and this was a gift given to me to give me luck." Rukia explains.

"How did it work out? Did you win?" Tatsuki asks, expecting Rukia to say no.

"Yes." Rukia answers softly. Tatsuki jerks her head swiftly at the girl. Tatsuki had suspected something was off about her. She's so tiny and Tatsuki can't even fathom how she could win. Unfortunately, her face gives away her thoughts and Ichigo notices as Rukia does. Ichigo would really love to give Tatsuki a warning look but he'll let Rukia handle it herself. He looks away.

"Really?" Tatsuki finally squeaks. Rukia sighs at her.

"I feel a bit insulted. You live on the same street as us, right? If you want to come over, and wait on the porch, I'll get the trophy and show it to you." Rukia says in as nice a voice as she can manage. Tatsuki realizes she just insulted Rukia and she grins sheepishly as she holds up her hands.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to insinuate that I didn't believe you, it's just that you surprised me." Tatsuki says to cool the situation. Rukia smiles pleasantly at her.

"I shouldn't have been offended. That's the way most people would react." Rukia admits, knowing that her size always has people underestimating her. Everyone except Ichigo that is.

They turn the corner where the ice cream shop is and everyone is stunned to see Keigo and Noriko standing there, holding hands, and waiting for them. Keigo has the biggest, most smug, and satisfied shit grin on his face.

"I wonder where my girlfriend is." Mizuiro says as he looks around. A tall, thin, and pretty dark haired girl starts jumping up and down on the other side of the ice cream shop and Tatsuki points.

"She sure seems anxious to get your attention." Mizuiro smiles as his older girlfriend dashes over and links her arm through his with a blush. Ichigo finds it easy as hell to pay for Rukia's ice cream. They're simply the last ones in the shop. It was easy since Keigo had walked in first with Noriko.

"I must have lost my wallet in the bushes when we were fooling around together earlier, so can you pay for the ice cream?" Keigo asks in a loud voice to Noriko.

Everyone smothers a laugh as Keigo says that and Noriko glares at him for a moment before jerking her head yes in an uncomfortable motion. Keigo gives Mizuiro a super huge grin as she pays. He leans over into Mizuiro's ear.

"I scored." Keigo is very quiet. He would like to try and score again. Mizuiro's eyes grow huge at that information but Noriko seems to suddenly notice Keigo's about to whisper in Mizuiro's ear and she yanks on his arm.

"Take the ice cream and help me find a spot!" Noriko says in an annoyed voice. Keigo gives her a sugary sweet grin and she rolls her eyes at him. She's lost a lot of respect for herself today. She's beginning to think she made a miscalculation somewhere, although she can't figure out where that could have happened.

She jumps in surprise when Keigo slaps her rear for the second time today in front of his friends and her face turns slightly red. He had slapped her rear several times in private too. She didn't really like it, but he had seemed so happy and so she had just said nothing.

She drags him off and everyone makes a disgusted face. Everybody seems to know what they want and the line moves quickly.

When Ichigo pays for his and Rukia's ice cream, none of his friends are even in sight. Ichigo grins at her.

"I have a feeling Keigo owes all of his happiness today to you, and even though that should be disturbing, I find myself a bit amused." Ichigo says in a voice that shows his confusion at the events surrounding Keigo and Noriko. Rukia has a good idea of what's happened. She had heard Keigo's whisper. Rukia laughs.

"Will you take my ice cream to the table, I want to wash up before I eat." Rukia tells him. Ichigo nods. Noriko immediately notices when Ichigo arrives at the table alone but with two ice creams. Keigo notices that Noriko isn't preoccupied with trying to keep his hands off of her and so he slides a hand on her leg and up her skirt a bit.

"Kurosaki, you finally sent her running, huh?" Noriko says with a pleased smile. She wonders if he's gotten jealous watching his friend get to have so much action and if he's finally realized what he turned down. She's beginning to think Keigo might be worth it. She suddenly realizes his hand is sliding up way too far up her skirt and yet she can't really do anything about it without calling more attention to herself.

"She'll be here in a minute. She didn't run away." Ichigo growls as he quickly digs into his hot fudge before it starts to all turn cold. Rukia had requested a hot fudge sundae with chocolate chip cookie dough and Ichigo is itching to taste it but he doesn't dare. Noriko pinches Keigo's arm and he pulls his hand out of her skirt.

"Save it for the weekend." Noriko whispers as flirtatiously as she can. She's about to excuse herself to go find Kuchiki now and be done with Keigo but Rukia appears and she takes the seat next to Ichigo. She looks happily at her ice cream.

"Thanks!" Rukia says sweetly, not realizing everyone is looking at them. Ichigo turns red. He wonders if everyone has realized that he paid for her ice cream now. Rukia fixes it though by smiling. "It was nice of him to carry it to the table for me, don't you think?" Rukia adds as she digs into her treat.

Tatsuki finds that she likes the new transfer student more as she gets to know her better. She wonders what Ichigo's intentions are.

Inoue looks down, feeling a bit depressed for a girl out with a huge crowd having ice cream. She feels ignored by the people she wants to notice her the most. She feels like everyone is focusing on Kuchiki-san. Even Tatsuki is focused on her more now. Chizuru hears Inoue sigh and she correctly assumes she's feeling ignored. She throws an arm around her and smiles.

"Cheer up, Orihime, I'm always here for you."

Tatsuki notices that both Ichigo and Rukia seem intent on their ice cream and so she gives Chizuru a dirty look. Chizuru quickly removes her arm.

"Can you believe all the drama already? We're not even through the first week of school!" Tatsuki whispers to Inoue. "I can hardly believe my eyes."

"It feels like everything is changing." Inoue comments before glancing at Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san.

"Inoue-san, what are you going to sew for our next project?" Ishida asks her finally. He'd been trying to think of something to say, but Inoue is really the only person he knows well here despite the fact that most of the people present are his own classmates.

"I haven't decided yet, what about you, Ishida-kun?" Inoue asks.

"I'm still thinking about it too." Ishida says lamely, wishing he had a really good idea that he could brag about.

When Ichigo finishes his sundae, he watches the people around him and then he glances at Rukia. She's pushed her ice cream away like she's done, and like him, she'd finished as much hot fudge as she could get her spoon on.

"Want to go?" Ichigo asks her quietly. Rukia nods and Noriko gets an angry look on her face.

"Hey Kurosaki, does your fiancé know you hang out so much with the new transfer student?" Noriko asks boldly, but both Ichigo and Rukia ignore her.

"I've got homework to do and Kurosaki-kun said he'd walk me home." Rukia says brightly to the group. "See you tomorrow!" Rukia tells them. Ichigo gives a short wave before walking away with Rukia.

J J J J

"Shit!" Byakuya says uncharacteristically. He cannot believe what he was just told. He holds his cell phone away from his face for a second, staring at it in disbelief before he puts it back to his ear.

"What do you mean, she's missing? She was an elderly servant! Has the surrounding area been searched? Maybe she just got confused." Byakuya says, hoping what he just heard is wrong. Byakuya listens for a second more before hanging up.

Aomori, his elderly servant at the Kuchiki mansion near the city is missing, and no trace of her has been found. She was in her late sixties and she'd worked for the Kuchiki family for thirty long years.

Byakuya has a sinking suspicion that the prowler seen near the mansion has something to do with the disappearance of the servant, and he's glad Rukia is nowhere near there. He's also glad that Renji should be in Karakura Town in time to start class next week. Byakuya doesn't want Rukia knowing why Renji is really going to be there, and so there's a pretext of a government official's child going to the school there and Renji is supposed to keep an eye on him.

After going through some of his reports, he had decided to use a kid that seemed close to the Kurosaki kid for the name, and Renji will tell Rukia and swear her to secrecy on the name even from Ichigo, but she'll be allowed to tell Kurosaki that Renji is there for work purposes. Byakuya hopes that just having her male friend who has a crush on her around that Kurosaki will become ten time more protective.

He's willing to do this to keep Rukia from finding out the terrible truth right now. She'd always been close to the servants around her. She'd never held any regard for titles or nobility in any way. He has a feeling that the news that a servant went missing would bring fear into her life, and Hisana hadn't wanted Rukia to ever experience it again.

Byakuya wonders how he can keep it from her when it's practically stalking her. He sighs as he pulls out the journal he started to keep a long time ago, the night Hisana had stumbled into his life.

He had recorded everything at the day's end at the beginning of the attempted kidnapping fiasco, in case anything became of use later. He didn't trust the police back then and he'd felt so strongly towards Hisana so quickly that he'd wanted to keep track of the events so that no details would be lost throughout the passage of time.

He briefly wonders before he opens it, whether or not he should call Isshin. He wonders if someone should be aware of the danger, and whether or not it would help matters at all. Byakuya decides against it and he opens his old journal up to refresh himself of the events surrounding the Kanzaki home the night he met Hisana. He reads all the way through until the day they found Rukia.

After reading everything, he's certain that he recorded something of importance but he isn't entirely sure of what that is. Things had been missing from the home, and Hisana had been left that disturbing letter. The mentally disturbed guy who committed suicide in prison was strange too. The whole damned case had been screwed up royally by the local police.

Byakuya sighs dejectedly. He hopes Aomori is found alive and in good health. He thinks that may be hoping for just a bit too much.

J J J J

"Where is Kuchiki Rukia?" A dirty man with greasy hair that is a bit too long is holding her by her short hair, holding a knife in front of her eyes. Aomori flinches in fear. Two other men stand on either side of her. She wants to be brave and tell him that servants aren't given that kind of information, but she's terrified. She's ready to give them whatever they want to just release her. She also happens to know the city where Rukia moved to, although she doesn't know the address.

"Tell us or we'll kill you." Another man with messy long hair says without any hesitation in his voice.

"I don't know the address! Just the city!" Aomori says in a terrified voice. Her aged eyes are open wide in fear at the way the men are looming menacingly over her.

"Tell me before I lose my patience. When I lose my patience, I like to cut people." The man in front of her says with an evil smile. He starts to caress his knife, eliciting a shiver of fear from Aomori.

"Will you let me go?" She asks in a small terrified voice. She wonders if she'll have a heart attack.

"The quicker you tell us, the happier you'll be." The man says deceptively. Aomori nods.

"Karakura Town." The moment she says it, she's killed. The guys had no desire to touch her, as they had been instructed to get the information, get rid of any evidence and get the hell out.

They quickly drag her to a hole they'd dug before they'd grabbed her. They quickly throw dirt on the grave and hurry to a motel three cities away. Each one of them shower, and bag away their clothes, shoes, and knives. Once they finish, they take off and go a remote area to burn their clothes. They bury the knives and they bury all evidence of the fire once it burns out. Everything takes much longer than expected, but they have followed Aizen's instructions exactly as he'd given them.

They grin and congratulate each other on a successful day at work for once. They have good news for the boss. _Finally_.

J J J J

Aizen chuckles at the news. He has her current location, at long last. Being a professor in the city, meant he would be delegating from afar. It had worked well in this instance, even though the location wasn't that far from him, Aizen hadn't needed to be there for the information to be obtained. His men seemed to know how much this pleases him.

He had ordered his men to immediately infiltrate Karakura Town and he told them all to stop by so he could give them a printout of what she looks like now from the internet picture. He can feel his blood boiling in his veins at the anticipation of finally getting his hands on a firm and tiny gymnast, it's just icing on the cake that Gin has a connection to the girl.

Aizen looks at his latest development for Kuchiki Rukia. It would be disturbing to a normal person's eyes, but to his eyes, it reflects his deep longing and yearning to own and control a lesser being than himself with enough intelligence to know it was being controlled and owned. There was just something about small and petite women that he just loved to break them. He looks around the underground chamber.

He has painted it for his anticipated encounter with Rukia. He paints the room a red color. He knows psychologically that red tends to make people subconsciously angry, and he wants to see if it helps when breaking a victim. It has a startling effect on the room. It's not exactly pleasant, but it isn't unbearable either. Aizen figures it will work.

Aizen's one weakness. This underground chamber would be a hell of piece of evidence were he ever caught, and for Rukia, he wants her to listen to him tell her in detail what he did with his last two victims before he gives her a short reprieve before everything really starts. Aizen can feel a smile forming on his lips. Very soon, he thinks, he'll be even happier.

_If things go flawlessly, she could be here tomorrow by noon._

It doesn't take long for his men to come and collect the picture. Aizen had laughed out loud when he had read the name of the principal of the high school in Karakura Town. It was an old friend of his father's. He had chuckled as he called the man up late in the evening to tell him congratulations on getting a Kuchiki into the school.

He'll have an address for them by the time they get to the halfway point of the city. _What a small world_.

J J J J

"That was fun, thanks for treating me to ice cream." Rukia tells Ichigo as they enter his room to do homework.

"You're welcome, anytime you want." Ichigo says quietly. They work diligently for about half an hour until Keigo calls. Ichigo rolls his eyes as Keigo tells him the details. Ichigo hangs up on him halfway through his explanation, pink faced.

Keigo calls back seconds later to tell Ichigo some more but Ichigo only listens to three words before he hangs up again, even redder than before.

"What's wrong?" Rukia asks him with interest.

"Keigo is such a pervert." Ichigo mutters as he throws the phone at the bed.

"What did he say?" Rukia asks with a frown.

"I don't know if I can repeat it." Ichigo grumbles. Rukia jumps up and smiles.

"Now I absolutely have to know!" she says excitedly. Ichigo sighs.

"He said he had sex with Noriko this afternoon." Ichigo mutters at her. Rukia's eyes widen.

"I thought that's what he said at the ice cream shop. I can't believe she actually had sex with him." Rukia says with a shake of her head.

"Yeah they did it outside, out of view of anybody." Ichigo adds. Rukia's mouth drops open at that.

"No way." She says, flabbergasted.

"I shit you not." Ichigo says with a shake of his head. He knew she was a slut, but to do that with Keigo, wow.

They're interrupted when Yuzu brings dinner into them, and mentions something about how their father is busy because of a car accident that happened right around the corner. They eat and work on their homework until it gets late. When they finish, Rukia stretches out happily on Ichigo's bed. He thinks she looks adorable.

Ichigo stands up and goes over to the bed and looks down at her. He feels a sharp twinge of desire as he looks at her and he lowers himself down on top of her very gently as he gently presses their bodies together as they kiss.

Rukia wraps her arms around him and kisses him back deeply. She presses herself tighter against him as she welcomes his advance. Ichigo kisses her lazily, letting his tongue travel all around her mouth and then around her own tongue. He feels Rukia's hands gently massaging his neck and he pulls away to kiss her neck. He lets his tongue swirl all around her neck and throat, causing her to shiver in ecstasy.

He quickly removes the top half of her school uniform and pulls off his shirt . He leans back down over her and kisses her neck again as he lets his hands gently massage her breasts and nipples. He moves down and takes her nipple in his mouth and starts to rub his tongue in the way she seems to like in a fast and heated motion.

Rukia gasps as all of the familiar feelings of desire flood back into her body. She's distantly aware that one of his hands is traveling up her skirt as well. She lets out a lusty sigh and Ichigo pulls back to look at her for a second. Rukia feels a tiny bit nervous as his eyes look so thoroughly at her.

"I can't believe you're real," Ichigo says softly, and his eyes show his adoration. Rukia sits up a bit and reaches out to feel the raised spot in his pants. Ichigo closes his eyes and lets out a turned on moan when she does that.

He quickly backs away from her and to his door. He gives her a sheepish and lusty look before he dashes off to take yet another cold shower. Rukia puts her blouse back on and lays back on his pillow smiling. She nods off like that.

When Ichigo comes back, he sees her sleeping in his bed and he feels so satisfied at the sight that he doesn't wake her. He climbs in next to her and closes his eyes. He figures his father will wake them up when it gets too late and she has to go home. He pulls her tight in his arms as he falls asleep holding her.


	20. Chapter 19: In The Middle Of The Night

Chapter 19

_In The Middle Of The Night_

Shoko looks up at the dark night sky and thinks about how beautiful it is late in the evening at this time of the year. It's just a bit too cold for the bugs, but not so cold that she's uncomfortable as she walks. She doesn't need a coat either. It's just a perfect night for a walk. She's in a good mood since she just ran into an old acquaintance a little while ago. She'd spent much longer talking than she had anticipated.

Now though, her mind starts wanders to Rukia and her future husband. Shoko knows the story of how Ichigo saved her charge's life a long time ago. Rukia had asked Shoko watch parts of her videos with her, right before they moved to Karakura Town. Shoko had to admit that it was a very cute and romantic story. The kind you wouldn't mind telling their future children about. They had been a cute pair of kids, too.

She's never seen Rukia so excited or happy as what she's been since early July. Shoko also can't help but to feel a bit apprehensive towards the boy. He has an unusual look to him, and if she hadn't seen video of him as a young child with orange hair, she might have believed he was a thug who bleached his hair. She knows she should be wary of the boy since she doesn't much trust teenage boys. Teenage boys are known for being trouble makers.

From what she's seen so far though, Ichigo treats Rukia with the utmost respect and he seems very gentle around the girl. He's always been polite to Shoko, and she's glad that Rukia is finally happy, although she still plans to keep a close eye on the boy as long as he's around Rukia.

Byakuya had told Shoko to let him know if anything happened with Ichigo to hurt Rukia. They've only been together a couple of days so far, but she's seen nothing but love and adoration on both of their faces. Shoko doubts the boy has it in him to ever hurt Rukia in any capacity. He seems as eager for her company as she is for his.

Shoko has never liked how much Rukia has been forced to move around in her life. She thinks that Rukia is a bit too Americanized too. She speaks her mind a lot more regularly than a young lady should, and her voice is an intelligent voice. Her demeanor is somewhere in the middle of a Japanese teen and a young American woman. Shoko can't help but to love her kind and energetic charge, even though she's too Americanized, but she reminds Rukia once in awhile that she's not acting like a proper young lady. She hates it when Rukia rolls her eyes at her, which is what she usually does whenever Shoko says those kinds of things to her.

Rukia is capable of arguing for hours on end if she believes she's right and she believes you're wrong. She likes to discuss topics of intelligence as well as topics of minor importance. Her level of martial arts is such that she can react to situations a bit differently than many girls her age. She also enjoys having intelligent discussions and she insists to Shoko that there's no reason a girl can't be sophisticated and cute at the same time. She doesn't insist her points cutely though, she bellows these kinds of arguments.

Shoko never tells her that her loud arguing could never be considered cute by anyone with eyes. She had just nodded and decided to let the girl learn for herself. She hadn't counted on Ichigo not minding one bit that Rukia wasn't like the other girls. He accepted her for who she was, and Shoko is certain that Rukia hasn't been hiding her intelligence from him. Maybe he's just the kind of boy who would love her no matter how she had turned out. They certainly adored each other when they were small children.

The fact though is that while most Japanese girls have a cute disposition, as they're taught to act, Rukia's disposition is far more sophisticated, even if she can pull off the cutesy act when she wants to. Whenever she does though, it disturbs the people around her who have seen her be herself, with the exception of her betrothed. He seems to like her no matter what attitude she's taking. He appears to be a boy deep in love.

Shoko looks up at the sky and decides it's time to head home. Even though it's already a quiet night, Shoko's hearing isn't what it used to be, and as she walks up the pathway to the front door, she never hears the footsteps behind her, closing in quickly.

She doesn't notice anything at all until her key is in the lock. Her eyes widen as a large hand quickly covers her mouth to muffle her terrified scream. She's shoved into the dark house.

J J J J

Rukia wakes up suddenly in the middle of the night when she hears Ichigo sigh loudly and pull her closer into his arms. She glances around and realizes she fell asleep in his room and he's holding her close in his arms and he's sleeping too. She enjoys the feel of his arms until she realizes it's _really_ late. She has to look to know how late it is.

She immediately pulls free of Ichigo and sits up to look at his alarm clock. It's a lot later than she expected it would be. She really loves being here in his bed with him. His arms are better than any blanket. His steady breathing is comforting to her ears, and it feels so safe in his bed.

She wonders if she should just lay back down in Ichigo's arms. It's a comforting thought. She looks down at him as he sleeps and she smiles happily. He's breathing deeply and he looks like he's having a good dream. She hopes it's about her and some of the things they could do together that they haven't done yet. That was what she had been dreaming about before she had woken up in his bed.

She doesn't want to go anywhere. Rukia's glad she found those videos in the summer. So much has happened with Ichigo in a short amount of time. All of it had been so wonderful and exciting too. She's never felt so many amazing emotions in such a short span of time. He makes her feel like everyday is a treasure.

He looks so calm and relaxed, and she swears she sees a tiny grin is on his face. She lets a couple of fingers trail through his bright hair as she looks at him with blatant adoration on her face. She lets it show openly now, while she can, since she'll be hiding it in school. She really doesn't know how much longer she'll be able to keep their engagement a secret, and she knows that her instant fame in Karakura High School for just walking around with him will be nothing compared to the uproar that will be at hand after her true status in his life is revealed.

Even though Ichigo doesn't pay much attention to very many other people, he's always noticed by others. Many girls find his mysterious attitude to be sexy, and other girls just like him because he told off Noriko, who's never been particularly nice to anybody she wasn't sleeping with, or didn't want to sleep with. Rukia is aware that many girls find Ichigo as attractive as she does, and she's extremely glad that he only has eyes for her. She knows she only has eyes for him. Every other guy is lacking in comparison to Ichigo.

She doesn't know what she would do if she'd crashed back into his life only to find out she was ruining it, because he'd fallen madly in love with some other girl. She is so happy that isn't the case, and she leans over and places a soft kiss on his cheek. She hears him sigh in response to her touch and she grins. She doesn't think a better man for her could even exist in this world.

Ichigo is the right one for her to spend the rest of her life with. She feels it all the way to the bottom of her heart and soul. She looks forward to each and every moment she spends with him.

Something unexpected catches her eye as she glances out the window towards her own home. She sees a shadowy figure in her bedroom, pass by the window. She shakes Ichigo awake, with a wide eyed look of fear in her eyes. She isn't at all gentle as she shakes him.

"Ichigo! It's almost one in the morning! Someone is in my room!" Rukia says urgently. Ichigo sits straight up and peers out the window to see there are indeed figures in her bedroom. He's very glad she's here with him and not in her bedroom right now. He was awakened fully by her words and he's ready for a confrontation. Must be all those years of his father surprise attacking him as he wakes up.

"You stay here." Ichigo says in a stern voice. "I'll go check it out." He looks at her when she gasps nervously.

"No, Ichigo what if it's dangerous? I'll never forgive myself if something happened to you! " Rukia says fearfully. Ichigo kisses her on the lips for a moment before he gives her a very serious glare. He doesn't want her arguing, he wants to know who the hell is in her room and he wants to know she's safe.

"You had better stay put here. Whatever is going on, I'll deal with it alone." Ichigo tells her firmly.

"There's a security system! Only Shoko, me and Byakuya have the code!" Rukia says, stopping him in his tracks. He spins around and gives her a look that tells her not to argue.

"What's the code?" Ichigo asks, in case he needs it.

"One-five-one-five-nine-eight-seven." Rukia recites immediately. She watches as he disappears out of her door and she watches out the window as she waits to see what happens next. She bites her lip in nervous fear as she watches more than one shadow move around in her bedroom. She knows Ichigo is capable of handling more than one opponent at a time, but she kind of wishes he'd let her come with him.

J J J J

Shoko is terrified. She's too old to be treated like this. Four men have tied her up and now they're searching the house. She feels her heart pound faster as someone draws near. She closes her eyes and lets several terrifying images run through her brain before she opens her eyes to see who it was that had approached her. Her eyes widen and she blinks disbelievingly.

When she sees Rukia's boyfriend, she's immediately relieved, and terrified for him. He quickly unties her and helps her out of the room silently. A lot of noise is coming from upstairs. They both look up as they hear the sounds and Ichigo sees she can walk on her own. He's glad he won't have to walk her over to his house, he doesn't want the men in Rukia's room to escape before he has at them for what they've done tonight. If they were willing to mistreat an elderly woman, who knows what they had in mind for Rukia. He hurries the elderly woman to the front door.

"Go over to my house and walk in the front door and sit on the couch." Ichigo tells her before he shuts the door with her on the outside and him on the inside.

Ichigo quietly heads up the stairs as he hears things being broken and thrown around in Rukia's bedroom. He feels his anger rising to a serious level as he listens to what the men say to each other in Rukia's room. Why they closed the door is beyond him. It made sneaking up there a hell of a lot easier than what it would have been if they'd left it open. He wonders if they did that to prevent Rukia from leaving the room when he hears the next comment.

"She definitely lives here, but she's not here. What are we supposed to do now? Wait for her to come home?" Ichigo hears one man say. "I wouldn't mind it if she did come home right now, I'd make her sorry for coming home so late, I'd make sure I made her cry in pain!" The man continues, making Ichigo see red. He balls his hands up into fists and then stretches them out as far as they go, to stretch them before he uses them in full force.

"Yeah, I was in the mood to get some tonight too. The old hag doesn't interest me though. There are videos here. Maybe we should take them with us. They're labeled Ichigo and Rukia. I bet it's probably her best friend. What a cute name, Ichigo." Ichigo hears someone else answer. He quietly cracks his knuckles. He can't wait to hit someone.

"We need make the call and get instructions. This was not part of the plan! That old bat returned home so late that we were sure we'd find the girl here, where could she be?" He hears another man complain. "I have a bad feeling about this." The man whines as he says it and Ichigo can hear another man scoff.

"Don't cry about it, the old woman should have some idea where the girl would be if she's not up here. Make sure you didn't miss any spots, check that closet one more time!" One man says loudly. Ichigo is getting impatient. What in the hell do they think they're doing in her room anyways?

"Too bad she wasn't in bed. We'd be having a lot more fun right now." Another man says in a clearly disappointed voice.

"There's a couple of pictures of an orange haired guy here, maybe she's with him." Ichigo hears one man say.

"A kid? Think of the fun she could have with us men! We could erase that innocent look in her eyes in a matter of a minute." The man gives a disgusting chuckle.

"I can only imagine how big her eyes would get when she saw us getting ready to show her a good time, remember the last one? I'll never forget how soft her skin was." The man sounds nostalgic, and Ichigo cringes at the direction of their conversation.

"Yeah, she was a virgin too." Another guy says with a snicker.

"You bastard! I should have known, the way she was screaming and carrying on. She felt incredible too, even if she did cry too loudly." Another guy says. "Too bad we couldn't have had an encore tonight. She's definitely not up here."

They're outright discussing a past rape, and Ichigo has two little sisters and a fiancé that he loves dearly. Men like these deserve nothing but pain. Ichigo also begins to reconsider his waiting until marriage to sleep with Rukia plan. No girl should have to lose her virginity to rape, and if she wants him to make love to her, then he thinks he'll gladly do so, because if she ever lost her virginity to men like these, he'd never forgive himself.

"Take the pictures, and we'll go question the old bat, before we make the call. Maybe we'll all get lucky and the girl will appear before we leave." Ichigo hears the men all head for the door and he stands in a ready position. As the door opens, he flies through the open door with a kick ready for whoever stands there.

The men all gawk in confusion as the biggest guy in the group crashes to the ground with a thud and a tall orange haired boy looks at them all like they're about to meet their maker.

Ichigo doesn't waste any time. He immediately lets his fists and kicks do the talking for him. The videos and pictures they tried to steal, crash to the floor, but miraculously don't break. When Ichigo has all four men, groaning on the floor, he quickly locates a cell phone on one of them and he calls the police. The only picture they hadn't tried to take was the one that Masaki and Isshin had given to her with their names engraved across it, they'd knocked it to the floor in their search and hadn't spotted it, otherwise they wouldn't have assumed Ichigo was a girl.

When one man starts to move, Ichigo lets his foot fly down onto the back of his head, shutting him up effectively.

"Whatever you had in mind for that girl isn't going to happen," Ichigo says in a menacing voice. "Your filthy hands will never touch her, nor will you steal her innocence!" Ichigo snaps as he kicks another one who starts moving. "Shut the fuck up!"

Ichigo waits for the police to arrive, and he tells them that they had abused the elderly lady of the home who is currently sitting safe next door. They ended up telling the police that Rukia had heard the break-in and had slipped out of her bedroom before the men came in and that she had gone next door to wake Ichigo up, and that's how he discovered everything. They didn't need it on the news that she had slept in his bedroom.

The police lead the men off into the cruiser and both Rukia and Ichigo help Shoko back to her room to rest. When they lay her down, Shoko looks up at Ichigo with thankful eyes.

"You saved my life. Thank you!" She whispers emotionally. Rukia sits on the edge of the bed and looks with concern at Shoko.

"What on earth happened?" Rukia asks her. Shoko wrings her hands as she recalls the horrendous experience.

"I couldn't sleep, and so I went outside for a brisk walk. I thought you had come home and were upstairs. I ended up running into someone I knew from a long time ago while I was on my walk and got caught up in discussion. When I finally got home, it was past midnight. As I pushed the key into the lock, four men appeared as if from nowhere!" Shoko says fearfully. They forced me into the house and demanded I deactivate the security code. They said they would do things to me if I didn't." Shoko says in a bare whisper. Rukia nods her head supportively.

"So you did as they told you, and then what happened?" Rukia asks.

"One man had some rope. He led me to my room and tied me up before asking me where you were. I told him you were upstairs and all of them ran up there and started making all kinds of noise. It sounded like they were searching everywhere up there for you. I was so scared!" Shoko says, fearfully. "I also felt like I had betrayed you by telling them where you were." Shoko admits in a pained voice that shows her regret.

"I nodded off while we were working on our homework. I'm sorry you had to deal with such a scary experience by yourself. They all think I was here though, since we didn't want everyone knowing where I'd actually been sleeping. " Rukia says, her voice cracking at the horror her elderly servant had to endure.

"I'm so glad you weren't up there. They were saying awful things. It's a miracle that the first time you don't come home, you miss being caught by some dirty criminals with evil minds." The elderly woman says as she closes her eyes in relief.

She hadn't thought for one minute she might be saved when she'd been laying there tied up. She had been so sure that they would come back and harm her, perhaps even kill her. She had not wanted to die at their hands, she might be old, but she's not ready to die yet.

The men who broke in were very likely to confess considering Ichigo's damning statement and Shoko's condition. Not to mention the condition of Rukia's room and the sight of the ropes that had earlier tied Shoko up. The most damning evidence though, had been the printed internet picture of Rukia at her gymnastics competition.

They're going to be punished, that much is certain. Though what the punishment will be remains to be seen.

"Your room is a complete mess." Ichigo tells Rukia. Her eyes widen at his words. She hadn't expected him to say that.

"I only got it all together the other day!" Rukia wails as she thinks of how long it took her to get everything in order.

"You're lucky I got over here when I did. They were prepared to leave with your videos and pictures." Ichigo tells her. Rukia gasps and her eyes widen.

"Why were they doing that?" She asks him quietly. Ichigo pulls her off of Shoko's bed. Rukia doesn't fight it, she just looks at him with questioning eyes as she searches his eyes for the answer.

"Come with me. Get some rest Shoko, Rukia's room is too torn apart, she'll sleep at my house tonight." Ichigo says. The woman nods her head slightly. She wouldn't argue with him, not after he saved her life. Ichigo drags Rukia out of the room. She ends up being pulled into a run and she pinches him to slow him down. He glances at her when she pinches him.

"You're walking too fast," Rukia says, and Ichigo immediately slows down so that he isn't dragging her along.

"Sorry. Those men came here tonight to rape you, and maybe even kidnap you or kill you, who knows. I just want you out of this house tonight." Ichigo says as he pulls her out the front door.

Miraculously everyone at his house is still asleep, although Ichigo thinks that's insane. He remembers his father was busy from an accident earlier though and maybe he's too tired to be woken by anything after his long night. He hadn't even come to make sure Rukia had left before he'd gone to bed, or if he had checked, he'd decided to leave them alone.

When he finally gets her upstairs to his room, he sits her on the bed and begins to tell her what he heard, and what they'd said about their last victim while he was in hearing distance. He also shares with her that their last victim was a virgin.

"I thought I was doing right by you, by waiting and not letting my body take control of everything when we start touching, but if you had gone home tonight instead of falling asleep in my room, you may well have met the same fate as that last girl." Ichigo tells her with a nervous bite on his lip.

"How horrible!" Rukia breathes, feeling sorry for their last victim.

"I'm no longer so sure about my decision to make love to you after we're married. I would hate myself if you lost your virginity to anyone as evil as those guys." Ichigo says in a low voice.

Rukia nods, since she agrees. That would be a nightmare. She definitely wouldn't want several men forcing themselves onto her. She hates that they've already gotten away with doing it to another girl.

"That poor girl," Rukia whispers achingly. She's still impressed with the way Ichigo had gone next door and handled the situation. He'd gotten Shoko out and kicked their asses in under fifteen minutes. She leans up against his side and shivers at the chilling thoughts he's bringing to her mind.

"I wonder why they targeted you." Ichigo asks as he puts an arm around her shoulder.

"I don't know. The more amazing fact is the way they chose to enter the house, forcing Shoko to tell them the security code. I hope she isn't too shaken up by what happened. Rukia says as Ichigo squeezes her a bit closer.

"I think she'll be okay. I think I got there before they could do anything too awful to her. I think she's just very relieved that you weren't up in your bedroom." Ichigo tells Rukia. He gets angry all over again every time he remembers the words he'd heard them speaking. "I have to admit, I'm very glad you weren't in your house when those men forced their way in." Ichigo tells her with a sigh of relief.

"At least the cleaning lady will be over tomorrow. I wonder if I should stay home from school and help clean up my house." Rukia says softly.

"No. You let the servants handle the cleaning. You come to school with me. After school we'll go check on the house and I'll help you clean up if there's still anything left to do. Should we call Byakuya?" Ichigo asks her. Rukia sighs. She knows that they probably should. Rukia pulls out her cell phone and makes the late call.

Rukia is shocked when Byakuya answers her call in a very sleepy voice. Her earpiece volume is up loud enough for Ichigo to hear both sides of the conversation clearly.

"Rukia, is something wrong?" Ichigo hears Byakuya say. Ichigo watches as Rukia bites her lip.

"Actually, I think we need a new security system. One that lets you enter a panic code rather than the deactivation code." Rukia says slowly into the phone.

"Why? Did something happen?" Byakuya asks, sounding more awake.

"I was doing homework with Ichigo when I nodded off. Ichigo let me rest and he fell asleep at his desk. There ended up being a car accident nearby and nobody realized I hadn't left the Kurosaki residence yet. When I woke up, it was about a half hour ago. And I saw my bedroom light on with shadows passing by the window." Rukia explains into the phone.

"Did you call the police?" Byakuya asks sharply.

"Not at first, I was worried about Shoko. Ichigo made me stay in his house and he went and got Shoko out and sent her over here. He had found her tied up." Rukia tells Byakuya.

"Then what happened?" Byakuya asks impatiently.

"Ichigo crept upstairs and heard the men discussing a virgin they'd raped before. He listened to what they had to say about me and then he beat them all senseless as they tried to exit my room to get information out of Shoko as to where I was. They're being interrogated by the police now." Rukia tells Byakuya.

"Put Kurosaki on the phone, and go lay down, try to get some rest, okay?" Byakuya says with concern.

"Sure." Rukia says to her brother before handing Ichigo the phone. "He wants to talk to you." Rukia says. Ichigo takes the phone, hesitantly.

"Hello?" Ichigo says nervously into the phone.

"Please walk away from Rukia so that she can get a rest after her hectic ordeal tonight." Byakuya replies. Rukia could hear him saying that and so she rolls her eyes. Ichigo does as Byakuya demands though, and he leaves his room and he goes down to the kitchen to sit down.

"Okay, I'm a floor away from her now." Ichigo says nervously into the phone.

"This isn't the first time Rukia has been the target of a sexual predator. In fact, the only time she had been truly free of such threat was when she lived in America. I don't know if it's different people or the same people, but someone out there has an obsession with Rukia. I suggest you don't let your guard down. This is the reason Rukia moved so frequently, and also the reason she doesn't do any competitions that are close to where she lives. I know she's a strong girl, capable of making people sorry for attacking her, but I don't know that she could take on a gang." Byakuya says in a serious voice.

"I'll protect Rukia with my life." Ichigo insists forcefully. He hears Byakuya take a deep breath.

"You're going to need to do exactly that since I know the girl won't move away from that town, even if I beg her." Byakuya mutters. "I'm going to look into having a new security system developed so that if someone tries to force Shoko to disable the alarm again, she'll be able to enter a panic code that makes it seem as though the alarm has been deactivated." Byakuya informs Ichigo.

"Okay, is there anything else I can do?" Ichigo asks.

"Be on your guard. You have three young ladies in your vicinity that you love deeply and you best be aware that these are people who have no regard whatsoever for the well being of a young lady." Byakuya says before hanging up.

Ichigo glares at the phone.

"Damn it! She's been being targeted all her life? How does she not know about it?" Ichigo wonders out loud, even as the answer comes to him instantly.

_Byakuya. He's been the one silently protecting her all this time, and he did it without even telling her that he was doing it. Who is targeting Rukia though? Is it her uncle? I thought he liked prepubescent children. Why is he still after Rukia? Is it someone else?_

Ichigo goes quietly up the stairs to shower quickly before going to his room where Rukia is laying down and waiting for him. She's not asleep yet but her eyes are closed and Ichigo looks at her.

"I'll protect you with my life." Ichigo tells her in a resolute voice. "Nothing is going to happen to you as long as I'm around. I won't let anything happen to you." Ichigo's words have an intensely calming effect to Rukia. He kisses her cheek and runs his hand through her hair. "You just let me, and I'll protect you until my dying day."

Rukia falls asleep to those loving vows of protection.

Ichigo does not fall back asleep. He has a feeling Byakuya is keeping something from him, and he'd like to know what it is.

Ichigo is glad that Rukia hasn't been living a life of total and complete fear, but when he remembers why she didn't want everyone knowing about their engagement right off the bat he wonders if she hasn't been living in fear anyways.

She obviously finds it a bit difficult to trust new people, and Ichigo hopes she finds her comfort zone quickly, since it's going to be real obvious really soon that he's completely in love with her and only her. Ichigo climbs into bed next to her and gathers her in his arms. Every time he lets himself think about what could have happened to Rukia tonight, he gets angry all over again. He kisses her several times as he lays there thinking about how he'll tear apart anybody who comes to try to hurt Rukia.

J J J J

Aizen is pissed. He knows something happened, and he hopes to god his men confess and say it was their fault before the police start investigating their phone records.

He knows his cohorts aren't stupid enough to drop his name to the police, they're all very loyal men, it's the entire reason he trusted them with such a mission in the first place. All of them would take their punishment and be free men within years. He knows something has happened because they have not called.

Even if his men had managed to rape the girl before they got caught, rape doesn't typically carry too heavy a penalty. He wishes he knew exactly what was going on.

Aizen knows the principal of her school will remember he gave Aizen the girl's address just hours before her house was attacked and Aizen decides he'd better write a congratulatory note to the girl to make his intentions seem honorable. Aizen goes to his desk.

_Kuchiki Rukia,_

_I happen to be a huge fan of gymnastics and when I saw your performances, I was quite awed by your gymnastics ability. I would love your autograph if ever you're near Tokyo Institute, and even though I know you're young, I think you should consider our institute in your later education._

_I've included my phone number and I hope you call me if ever you're in Tokyo and you need someone to have a cup of tea with. I look forward to watching you further your gymnastics career too. The best of luck to you._

_Aizen Sousuke-Professor at Tokyo Institute_

Aizen sits and fumes over the fact that the firm little gymnast will not be delivered to his underground chamber tonight. He also doubts that she'll ever call him for a cup of tea or attend the institute he teaches at. He knows Gin should be arriving in Tokyo fairly soon, and he considers his next plan of attack.

He may not have those reliable cohorts until they get out of prison, but he's done a lot for Gin in his life too. Maybe if he promises not to kill the girl until after she gives birth, Gin will go and grab the girl himself.

Aizen swears as he considers how to handle this without drawing anymore attention to himself than what he may already have done. His name has come up before in regards to Kuchiki Rukia and it would be bad if people started noticing a pattern.

Aizen picks up the picture and licks his lips at the vision of the girl and he touches her body with his index finger.

_If I keep after her, it might be the end of me._

J J J J

Byakuya hasn't been able to sleep since he got the phone call. He decides to have Rukia come stay with him over the weekend. He'll call and let her know tomorrow and the driver will bring her after school Friday. Then the house can be cleaned up and the new security system installed, before she gets back home Sunday night.

He wonders if she'll ask for Ichigo to be able to come along. Byakuya thinks Ichigo should stay with his family for the weekend in case his sisters are targeted next. He thinks Ichigo will probably think the same thing.

Byakuya sighs as he considers whether or not he should show his journal to Ichigo, and give him an idea of what they're up against. It's not like he can't trust the kid, but he also doesn't want to share his journal. Not now, anyways.

Byakuya pours himself a glass of sake as he considers the fact that Rukia will have both Renji and Ichigo to watch out for her when she gets back to school after spending a weekend with him.

_Nobody will have the chance to hurt her, she'll be protected from every angle if I have any say in it._


	21. Chapter 20: Aftermath

**A/N-I want to thank each and every person who made my story one of their favorites or who reviewed the story. I'm so excited that it is well liked, and it means a lot to me that people are telling me it's their favorite fic. The story still has quite a ways to go, so please enjoy it all, even the suspense...here's chapter 20 without further delay! (as always bleach belongs to Kubo Tite!)**

**Theresa Crane**

Chapter 20

_Aftermath_

When Rukia and Ichigo wake up in each other's arms, they both blush furiously. Isshin barges in the room and his mouth drops open when he sees that Rukia spent the night last night in their house. The teenagers quickly sit up to stare at Isshin.

"Ichigo!" Isshin starts to yell but Rukia stops him.

"My house was broken into last night, and that's why I stayed the night here." Rukia tells him. Isshin's mouth drops open.

"Your house was broken into?" He asks with wide eyes.

"Yeah. We were working on our homework late last night when we both dozed off while working. Rukia woke up around one in the morning and noticed shadows walking through her room. I went next door and Shoko-san had been tied up. When I went to confront the criminals, I overheard what they had planned for Rukia, only they didn't find her there. They're in police custody now." Ichigo explains quickly and quietly.

Isshin's mouth opens and closes like a fish for a moment.

"Is Shoko alright?" Isshin asks quickly. Ichigo nods.

"I'm going to change, and then I'll walk Rukia over to her house so she can change into a fresh uniform too." Ichigo informs his father. Isshin just nods his head silently. He leaves the room.

Isshin thinks it's far too coincidental that this girl has just been hunted down for a second time in her life. The odds of it happening once are low enough, but twice? He wonders what Byakuya has to say about all of this.

Isshin walks out the door to contemplate the situation.

Ichigo hurries and changes, _right in front of Rukia, _her face is red the entire time as she watches him. When Ichigo finishes getting dressed, he glances at Rukia and blushes as he realizes her eyes didn't leave him the entire time.

"You still need to shower right? Lets hurry to your house," Ichigo says as he quickly gathers his homework together. Rukia follows suit and she hurries behind him.

"Yeah, I can be quick though. I wouldn't have minded joining you last night when you jumped in though," Rukia tells him, and Ichigo realizes she heard him showering before he came back to the bedroom to lay down with her.

"Can you imagine what my dad would say if he caught us doing that?" Ichigo asks with a shudder. Rukia giggles.

"No!" She whispers. They hurry over to her house and let themselves in. In the day it's far easier to see how much the men had messed things up last night. Rukia is really upset when she sees the condition of her bedroom.

"I'm sorry, Rukia." Ichigo says from the doorway as he watches her enter and look around in a panic. She sees her videos and Ichigo's recent pictures scattered by the door, and it looks like the room has been completely ransacked.

"They touched _everything_!" Rukia says with a gag. "All of my stuff, they put their filthy hands all over it!" Rukia says angrily. "It gives me the creeps." Rukia admits in a broken voice.

"It's going to be okay because they didn't lay one dirty finger on you. Everything here can be cleaned, sanitized, disinfected, but they didn't touch a hair on your head." Ichigo says in a comforting whisper as he steps through the doorway to give her a big hug.

"Thanks, Ichigo. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you. I probably wouldn't be here now if it weren't for you." Rukia says shakily.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Ichigo says reassuringly. "Go ahead and get ready quickly. Try not to think about what they did touch, and be glad for what they didn't touch." Ichigo says meaningfully. Rukia's reminded of the virgin that the men had been bragging about raping while in Ichigo's hearing distance.

_He's right. It could have been a whole hell of a lot worse_. She can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be totally scared and have four men degrading you like that, having your virginity stolen like that, and to know they had liked doing it so much that they had planned a repeat for last night was enough to make her stomach turn.

Rukia quickly locates another clean uniform in the back of her closet and hurries into the shower. She can't help but be grateful that Ichigo is so strong and protective. She's not going to deal with any of this all by herself. They'll confront the future together. She smiles at that thought, she feels like she can confront any situation as long as she has him by her side. She doesn't ever think there will be a situation that they can't take care of if they confront it together.

J J J J

As Rukia and Ichigo are leaving her house to go to school, Tatsuki happens to be waiting out front. She looks up at them in surprise before asking the question that's been on her mind.

"What happened last night? I saw the police were here." Tatsuki looks back and forth between them as she waits for an answer. Rukia looks at her and says softly.

"My home was broken into by some men and Oba-chan got attacked." Rukia says, referring to Shoko. She prefers to let Tatsuki think Shoko is a relative than a servant.

"Is everyone okay?" Tatsuki asks, worried.

"Yeah, she's okay now. Thankfully the police have the men in custody who broke in." Rukia explains with a breath of relief. Tatsuki feels the relief too.

"Nothing like that has ever happened in this neighborhood before, I wonder why they broke into your house?" Tatsuki asks with wide eyes.

"I don't know, but I told her I'd keep walking her to and from school." Ichigo tells Tatsuki, and she nods her agreement.

"If ever you're worried or scared, you can call me and I'll come hang out too," Tatsuki offers in a friendly voice. Rukia looks at her in surprise.

"How nice of you, thanks." Rukia responds to the very kind offer.

"I mean it, let me give you my number." Tatsuki says as she fishes a pen and paper from her bag.

Rukia and Ichigo watch as Tatsuki write her phone number down and hands it to Rukia.

"Thanks, again." Rukia says as she accepts the paper. She carefully tucks it into a pocket in her bag and the three start to head to school together. Partway there, Tatsuki stops.

"I'm supposed to meet Orihime here, I'll see you in class." Tatsuki says apologetically. The couple nod and Rukia waves bye as they continue on.

"That was really nice of her." Rukia tells Ichigo who nods his head in agreement.

"Tatsuki's a good friend to have. She used to help me when I was younger and getting picked on by multiple kids. The truth is, she was superior to me in karate up until we hit eleven or so." Ichigo admits. Rukia looks up at him in surprise.

"She's really good, huh?" She asks him. Ichigo nods his head yes.

"She's a really talented martial artist. She's as tough as a guy. I think you two will get along great," Ichigo says, giving her a smile.

"You could be right about that." Rukia says, smiling back. They turn a corner and Ichigo touches her arm gently.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ichigo asks, wondering just how traumatic the night before actually was for her. Rukia gives him a reassuring grin.

"Thanks to you, I'm alright. It seems like you're always saving me when I'm in any kind of trouble." Rukia tells him in a happy voice.

"Damn straight." Ichigo replies in a firm voice. "I wouldn't want it any other way." Ichigo tells her in a heartfelt voice.

"It's one of the reasons I love you so much." Rukia tells him.

When they finally reach the classroom, several students look in Rukia's direction. Ichigo wonders if the attack on her house was in the newspaper. He forgot to check this morning, nor did he listen to the morning news. Keigo bounds over to them.

"Kuchiki-san! Are you okay?" He asks worriedly. Rukia gives him a confused look.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" She asks him.

"I heard on the news this morning that four men were arrested for breaking into your house. They said the occupants of the house were okay, and only shaken up. I was worried about you!" Keigo says, and Mizuiro nods his head. Ichigo and Rukia look back at both of them with a bit of surprise on their faces.

"We were all worried." Mizuiro says honestly.

"Wow, I didn't realize it had made the news," Rukia says in a sheepish voice. "I'm perfectly alright, I wasn't harmed at all. The police arrived before the men could do anything other than damage some things in the house." Rukia assures them.

"They mentioned that your teenage neighbor next door was the one who alerted the police." Mizuiro says, looking at Ichigo.

"Yes, I'm very grateful Kurosaki-kun woke up and noticed the disturbance." Rukia says slowly, wondering what else the morning broadcast had said about last night's incident.

"As long as you're alright," Keigo chirps, as he notices a threatening glare coming from Ichigo.

Inoue and Tatsuki walk into class and Inoue glances in their direction before joining the group. She looks at Rukia before speaking.

"I heard you had to deal with a scary situation last night, I'm so glad you're okay." Inoue says softly. Rukia smiles at her gratefully.

"Thanks." Rukia tells her .

"It's a miracle nobody got hurt." Inoue says softly.

"The thugs didn't leave the situation unhurt," Rukia says with a grin. Everyone looks at her, but the teacher walks into class and so everyone rushes to their respective seats.

The morning passes by quickly and when it's time for lunch, everyone wants the details on what happened at Rukia's house last night. Rukia doesn't seem too eager to give the details either, since she doesn't know what the news did or did not reveal about the circumstances last night.

"I saw it on the news," Chizuru says as she sits down with them. "Kuchiki, they say Kurosaki came in and got the occupants out of the house and took them to his house before he went into your house and called the police." Chizuru says as she opens her lunch bag.

"You beat the living tar out of them didn't you?" Tatsuki asks in an accusing voice at Ichigo. Rukia blushes a little bit. She hadn't expected to be the center of attention first thing in the morning over last night's events.

"It's very true, if he hadn't come to the door when he did, I don't know how it would have ended up." Rukia says softly.

"What a scary story." Inoue says in response to all that.

"Do you know who they were?" Chizuru asks Rukia.

"No. I'm sure the police will handle everything though," Rukia says confidently.

"What did you do to them?" Tatsuki asks Ichigo. He glares at her for a second before answering her.

"I made it so they wouldn't be able to escape when the police came to arrest them, that's all." Ichigo tells her.

"You went in and confronted four people by yourself? You're crazy!" Tatsuki tells him with a shake of her head.

"You would have done the same thing," Ichigo says with a scoff.

"It's a bad habit you have, confronting groups of people by yourself. You should be more careful." Tatsuki says in a low voice.

"Shut up." Ichigo says with another glare. Rukia looks back and forth between them.

"You do this kind of thing often, I take it?" Rukia asks with a tiny grin. Of course she already knows the answer, but she waits for it anyways.

"Only when the situation calls for it," Ichigo replies as he fights the urge to grin at her.

"He's fearless." Tatsuki says with a laugh.

"That's good though, otherwise things may have gone differently last night," Rukia says giving Ichigo a quick look of gratitude. Everyone notices the way Rukia's eyes soften as she talks to him.

"How did you know people had broken in?" Inoue asks, and Ichigo turns red and so Rukia answers for him.

"I woke up and heard them breaking in. I slipped out of my room, and when they came upstairs, I slipped downstairs and out the house. I woke Kurosaki-kun up when I pounded on the door. When he opened his door, I knew our nightmare was over!" Rukia says with a grin. Everyone looks back at Kurosaki for his input.

"They ransacked the entire upstairs. I think they were searching for valuables." Ichigo says in a gruff voice. No way he's going to repeat the guys nasty words to all of his classmates. It was one thing to tell Rukia, since their plans had been for her, but he wasn't about to tell everyone what their true intentions had been.

"Wow, you sure did think quickly on your feet," Tatsuki says in an impressed voice.

"I'm just lucky Kurosaki-kun woke up when I knocked." Rukia tells them. A few of the girls nod. Everyone quiets down when Noriko saunters over to Keigo.

"I need to talk to you in private," she tells him against her better judgment, considering what happened the day before. When she sees his eyes light up she realizes maybe she shouldn't take him somewhere secluded, just out of hearing range of the others.

Ichigo rolls his eyes as they all watch Noriko attempt to drag Keigo only far enough away to talk to only him, and Keigo grabs her hand and keeps on dragging her away so that they can actually be in private. Noriko is clearly not excited about Keigo's actions, but that doesn't stop Keigo. They all hear it clearly when he stops and yells at her.

"You're the one who said you needed to be in private, so shut up!" Keigo's voice carries. Noriko turns red and allows Keigo to drag her off into a completely private area.

"Want to spy on them?" Mizuiro asks Ichigo who cringes visibly.

"No thanks." Ichigo tells him looking disgusted.

"I'll go." Chizuru says with a grin, and Mizuiro nods his head yes as they both quietly hurry in the direction of Noriko and Keigo.

"This should be interesting." Rukia says to Ichigo, who rolls his eyes.

"You have no idea." He tells her, and she winks at him.

"Oh yes I do. I don't have to know Keigo to know that this will be a priceless moment. We should go too." Rukia says with a smile. Ichigo starts shaking his head no.

"I really don't want to see anything though." Ichigo protests. Rukia considers.

"Don't you think it will be funny?" She asks him. Ichigo shakes his head no.

"I think it will be pathetic." He answers.

"You could be right." Rukia says. Everyone waits as Mizuiro and Chizuru disappear from their sight.

"I wonder what will happen next," Tatsuki says to Inoue.

"Chizuru-san will tell us." Inoue assures her.

Everyone silences and looks in interest when they hear a girl screaming.

Mizuiro and Chizuru come sprinting into sight a minute later, red faced. They take their seats and wait.

"So, what happened?" Tatsuki asks Chizuru.

"Lets just say Keigo was successfully convincing Noriko that she needed to be without her clothes for their discussion, since he was already out of his own." Chizuru says in a tight voice.

"He didn't lie." Mizuiro adds to Ichigo. "They noticed us as they were um, you know, starting." Mizuiro says with a blush.

"Who screamed?" Rukia asks with a laugh. She thinks she already knows the answer to that though.

"Noriko. Keigo just smiled," Chizuru says as she rubs her arms from getting goose bumps from the creeps. Tatsuki acts like she wants to gag, and Inoue looks shocked. Sado has no reaction.

"You were right," Rukia tells Ichigo. He nods.

"Told you." He says in a knowing voice.

"Yes you did," Rukia agrees with a smile.

"I can't believe you actually saw that," Ichigo shakes his head at Mizuiro. "You really should know better." Ichigo tells him and Mizuiro laughs. Ichigo can't stop shaking his head at Mizuiro though.

"Keigo had the stupidest smile on his face, so it was worth it," Mizuiro says with a laugh. "Noriko was mortified when she looked up and saw Chizuru and I just standing there." Mizuiro adds, earning a few giggles among the group.

"Ugh, I can't believe he actually slept with Itou, gross!" Tatsuki says with an audible gag in her throat.

"I can't believe they did it outside!" Inoue whispers to Tatsuki.

"At least the rumors aren't on us right now," Ichigo mutters and Rukia grins.

"It didn't bother me when they were." Rukia tells him with a sideways look.

"Lunch is almost over. I'll walk you home, after class." Ichigo tells her, earning a nod of agreement from Rukia. Rukia and Ichigo stand before the warning bell rings and start to head back to class at a slow pace. Everyone glances in their direction and then shrugs as they wait for Keigo to reappear with Noriko.

J J J J

Rukia and Ichigo are walking home when Byakuya calls Rukia on her cell phone. He tells Rukia he wants her to come to his home tomorrow after school until Sunday evening. He tells her that it will be safer while new security measures are added to the house in Karakura Town. Rukia sighs and agrees reluctantly.

Ichigo had heard the entire conversation, and even though he doesn't want Rukia to go, he understands why Byakuya is doing it, and he also knows he needs to stay near Rukia's true home and his family to keep an eye on things.

"I was looking forward to our weekend together though," Rukia says in a disappointed voice.

"There will be other weekends. Your brother is right about you needing to be safe while new security measures are added to the house." Ichigo says as he shudders at the memory of Shoko all tied up.

"I know you're right, but I'm still disappointed." Rukia tells him in a soft voice.

"Why don't you just come over tonight then? We'll work on our homework together, eat dinner together, and then we can make out." Ichigo tells her with a sideways grin. Rukia smiles back.

"It would sound like a dream if we didn't have homework in that sentence," Rukia says with a sigh.

"You're right, homework sucks. It shouldn't even exist. We'll go through it quickly though, and then I'll hold you in my arms and kiss you until you have to go home. Do you think they were able to get your room in order today?" Ichigo asks her.

"We should check before we go to your house." Rukia tells him, and Ichigo nods.

Rukia's room is nearly completed and she's assured it will be the same as before by the time she gets home from Ichigo's house tonight. Both Rukia and Ichigo are surprised to find a body guard in the house.

"I'm only here for the evening, and then I'll accompany you to your brother's house tomorrow after school." The man informs her. "My name is Ikkaku." He adds. "Don't worry, you'll be able to sleep safe tonight." He tells her with a cocky grin.

Rukia and Ichigo had quickly left and gone to his house to work on their homework. They only half heartedly worked at it though so that they would finish more quickly. Neither worked as thoroughly on their homework as what they normally would. They finished just before dinner would be starting and so they head downstairs together.

Rukia tells his family that she'll be out of town for the weekend while a new security system is installed, and Isshin nods sympathetically.

"What about tonight?" Karin asks Rukia who blushes.

"There's a bodyguard over there now." Rukia tells her.

"Really? That's cool." Karin says with a nod of her head.

"No, it's scary!" Yuzu says wide eyed.

"You'll be back Sunday evening though, right?" Isshin asks her. Rukia nods.

"That's good, that means it's really only one full day the two of you will spend apart." Yuzu says, being positive.

"I still wish it didn't have to be like this," Rukia says with sadness evident in her voice. "I planned to have you girls go through a box of clothes to pick out stuff you want. Maybe we can do that next weekend." Rukia tells them.

"I'll get all my homework done on Saturday so that we can hang out when you get back on Sunday," Ichigo tells her with a grin. Rukia nods.

"I'll do the same." She smiles as she thinks maybe Sunday will come sooner than she had at first believed.

"That's the spirit," Isshin says with a smile. Ichigo and Rukia grin at each other. His father has always been a goofball.

They finish dinner and hurry upstairs. They make out and they go much further than they ever have before.

They start out just kissing, but they slowly lose all clothing except for their underwear, at first. Ichigo kisses her stomach, her nipples, her neck, and then her ears before he whispers in her ear how beautiful she is, and that she tastes intoxicating.

Rukia had shivered at the air touching her body and at the heat from his tongue warming her wherever he explored her body with it. They touch each other frantically in uninhibited abandonment as they get lost in the wondrous feeling of being in each other's arms. Ichigo slips a hand under her rabbit themed panties and he starts to rub her in her most sensitive place, causing sensual moans to come from her barely parted lips.

Ichigo had watched her face as he'd touched her and he'd felt like he was on top of the world at the way she responded so wildly to just his touch. When he feels a rush of moisture on his fingers, he slips her panties completely off, causing Rukia's eyes to open all the way up. She opens her eyes even wider when he replaces his fingers with his tongue. He reaches up to slap his hand over her mouth when she shrieks at the intimate touch of his tongue on her like that.

He keeps his hand on her mouth as he slowly moves his tongue up and down and all around her most sensitive and private areas. He lets out a pleased moan as he gets more and more into it. Rukia is taking ragged breaths and she's squirming all around at the feelings his intimate touch is invoking and she jumps in surprise when he uses a finger to enter her.

She has never felt anything like what he's doing to her with his tongue and with his hands, and she feels like her body has waves of intensity rushing from her toes to her brain and back down again. She arches her back as another wave of ecstasy shoots through her body at the way he's touching her so boldly and so intimately. She hadn't imagined they'd be going this far tonight, not that she could even say the word no now. She wants him more desperately than she's ever wanted anything. She decides to tell him so with passion tinting her eyes to a much darker hue of blue than usual and Ichigo comes undone.

"I want you more than anything, Ichigo!" Rukia says in urgent need.

He pulls off his boxers so quickly, Rukia's not sure how he did it, and then he's on top of her, kissing her, and whispering really romantic things that don't make a whole lot of sense, but they send shivers through her body all the same.

"So beautiful...I want you to be happy...I want you so bad…I love you so much, you know that don't you? I've never felt…god you're perfect…Rukia!" Ichigo mutters all kinds of things in her ears as he uses his hand to move his hardness all around the areas he had just been licking. Rukia breathes hard and fast at how good it feels, since it's smooth, hard, and wondrous at the same time.

She's moving her body at a rhythm to his strokes on the outside of her sensitive spots, but he hasn't entered her, and she lets her hands squeeze into his shoulders and then push onto his back.

"I want to…" Ichigo whispers achingly as he pulls back and stares into her eyes with his own half open from all of the pleasure coursing through his body. Rukia nods in understanding.

"I want it too…" She replies in consent and Ichigo needs nothing more.

He feels no guilt, no regret…_holy shit, _he feels nothing but ecstasy and fire as he pushes himself into her very tight and very wet opening. He buries himself completely in and mutters incoherently from the waves of ecstasy that threaten to stop everything if he doesn't relax for a second.

He pulls his face away to look into the eyes of the woman he loves, of the woman he's making love to and her eyes are shining with love. He decides to take this moment to tell her one more thing before he continues.

"I love you so much, I'll love you forever," he swears before he starts moving back and forth. It feels so damned good to him and he's worried he won't last long enough and so he makes an effort to hold off as long as he can. His desire to make sure she liked it too, made him try all that much harder not to end things early.

Rukia didn't know something as wonderful as all of this could even exist. She breathes hard at all of the feelings his thrusting motions are having on her body. She meets his hips and helps him rock faster and harder until he explodes inside of her. He falls limp against her shoulder and he kisses her shoulder and neck. He can hardly believe what just happened. It hadn't been his goal at the beginning of the night, but things had progressed and he hadn't used a condom. He worries about that as he slides out of her.

"Rukia." Ichigo says in a breathless voice.

"I never knew." Rukia says softly, "that it could be so wonderful," she finishes quietly.

"I didn't know being in you could feel like heaven." Ichigo whispers as he gives her a passionate kiss.

"I'm just going to miss you more while I'm gone now," Rukia says with a bit of a pout.

"Me too." Ichigo tells her as he kisses her again.

They hear Isshin yelling Rukia's name from downstairs and they both jump up. They both get dressed at lightning speed and they rush downstairs. Isshin takes one look at their disheveled appearance and he raises an eyebrow at Ichigo.

"It's time for Rukia-chan to go home, although I think maybe she should run a comb through her hair before she does," Isshin says with a knowing stare, and they both blush furiously.

Rukia runs to the bathroom and Ichigo folds his arms and glares at his father. Isshin glares right back.

"You were a complete gentleman tonight, _right_?" Isshin asks his son.

"Of course," Ichigo growls back.

"Don't be in such a rush for everything," Isshin says softly. Ichigo averts his eyes.

"Shut up." Ichigo tells his father in a low voice, and Isshin just keeps staring at him.

"I still think you ought to be careful, and not rush things too much." Isshin tells him worriedly.

"Don't worry, Rukia and I have a very good handle on our relationship. I love her, and I'm going to marry her and protect her just like I always vowed I would. That's what I want to do." Ichigo tells his father in a serious tone.

"I know you want to do all of that and I know you're serious when you say that, but you're still pretty young, only sixteen." His father reminds him. "And she's even younger, she's still fifteen." Isshin continues and Ichigo turns around and glares at his father.

"Shut up! I'm not doing anything wrong, I love her!" Ichigo insists, and Isshin sighs.

"Alright then." Isshin says in defeat. "You'd just better make sure you follow through on every single promise you've made to that girl or you'll have to deal with me." Isshin warns him. Ichigo nods.

"Gladly." Ichigo assures him, and Isshin smiles.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, it warms my heart." Isshin grins happily as Rukia finally comes back looking much neater and a lot less ravished. She blushes again. Ichigo grabs her hand and walks her outside and over to her front door.

"I'll see you in the morning." Rukia tells him, and Ichigo nods his head yes. He gives her a quick kiss, before he watches her walk into her house

J J J J

Aizen sips his drink as he slowly calms down. No police have shown up at his door, and no phone calls have come in. He figures he won't see his men for a few years when he reads the news on the internet of what happened.

Aizen groans in frustration at the bad luck of having the teenager next door to the girl notice something was amiss. At least the men had been caught before they'd attempted to rape or kidnap her which would have meant a more serious punishment.

Aizen had mailed the letter to Rukia first thing in the morning and he had worried all day. He contemplates what his next plan of action will be. He wonders what Rukia's daily schedule is, and when would be the best time to target her.

He should really be there. Aizen sighs as he takes another sip of his drink. It would be so very easy to capture her if he knew what she did day and night. He has a job to do at Tokyo Institute though, and he can't just leave, no matter how much he may want to. It's a large part of his cover. The professor is just the mask for the real Aizen, and very few people know the real Aizen Sousuke.

"I was too hasty." Aizen says with a sigh. He had allowed his desire to get the girl come before being careful. He should have had his men observe and report on her habits before he sent them in there. Now they're caught. At least he's still safe though. Aizen is glad he picked men that would not rat him out if caught.

He finishes his drink as he contemplates the lovely Kuchiki-san's treatment when he gets her here. If Gin ends up being the one who grabs her, she'll arrive without being raped and he won't have to wait as long to bury himself in her. He smiles a creepy smile at the thought of presenting Gin with her child. Maybe he would do it right in front of her. That would definitely be interesting to watch as a psychologist. He wonders if she would lose her mind on the spot.

He thinks that if he does do that, he'll wait and let her bond with the child first. That will make it so much more devastating when he hands Gin the kid. Aizen can even picture what smile he'll use as he does it. _First I need to capture her though. If I share that last thought with Gin, he'll probably go all out to grab her._

J J J J

Ichigo and Rukia walk to school quietly for the most part, except that Rukia turns to thank him for showing her so much joy last night. Ichigo had grinned and thanked her back.

When they walked into class, they were a bit early, and Rukia just heads to her seat when Keigo calls Ichigo over. She figures she probably shouldn't listen to whatever Keigo is going to say.

Ichigo looks at the shit grin on Keigo's face and he rolls his eyes. He's a bit annoyed that both he and Keigo lost their virginity within a day of each other. Even worse, Keigo had lost his first. Not that it was a competition, but Ichigo scowls as he joins Keigo.

"What?" Ichigo asks in a growl.

"Did you hear? I got it on with Itou Noriko again yesterday at lunch! It's so great, she snubbed me so bad last year, but guess who's boning her now!" Keigo says with grinding motion.

"You're sick." Ichigo informs him, and Mizuiro laughs.

"She didn't look all that excited, it looked more like you coerced her." Mizuiro says, pinning Keigo with a look.

"Not true! I simply told her that I could walk away from her or I could listen while I touched. It's not my fault she took too long to say what she had to say, by the time she was done, I already had her panties off!" Keigo says loudly. Ichigo covers his ears.

"Way too much information you pervert!" Ichigo snaps at him, and Keigo grins.

"I'm spending the weekend with her too. She has a hot tub, you should try and convince Kuchiki to come over." Keigo tells Ichigo, repeating word for word what Noriko had demanded he say in exchange for what she gave him at lunch the day before. She had assured him she'd give him the kind of sex he dreamed about if he could actually get Kurosaki to come over during the weekend with or without Kuchiki.

"She's going out of town this weekend." Ichigo tells him in a monotonous voice. Keigo grins.

"You should come over and get in the hot tub, how often can you do something like that?" Keigo asks him.

"If I have to be around that bitch, it's not worth it." Ichigo tells him flat out.

"Oh come on, just come over and get in the hot tub, I'll keep her busy, she won't be able to bother you." Keigo insists. Ichigo rolls his eyes.

"I'll think about it." Ichigo says with no intention of going. Keigo knows him well enough to know this and so he thinks desperately of a way to get Ichigo over to Itou's house so that she rewards him in the way she promised she would.

"What if I give you a twelve thousand and one hundred yen to show up for twenty minutes? I just need a friend to confirm what I'll be saying I did on Monday." Keigo says with a wink. Ichigo blinks.

That's a lot of money, he could buy Rukia a really nice present with that kind of money, and Keigo said he'd keep Noriko busy. Ichigo wonders if he should go.

He walks back to his seat and gives Rukia a quick look. Somehow he thinks she'd be unhappy if he stopped at Itou's house for twenty seconds, let alone twenty minutes. He think he probably shouldn't even go for that much money.

Ichigo carefully considers it and decides to ask Rukia at lunch what he should do. He'll tell her he wants to spend the money on her if he goes, but that he'll only go if she's alright with it. Somehow just the thought of bringing that up makes him nervous. He doesn't even want to go over there.

He figures if he can't bring himself to ask her, then he definitely won't go over there.

The morning passes quickly and Ichigo drags Rukia off to a private spot.

"Keigo offered me a heck of a lot of money to pop over at Itou's house while he's spending the weekend there. He said I only have to come over for twenty minutes and he'll give me over twelve thousand yen." Ichigo tells her immediately.

"What are you going to do?" Rukia asks him as she looks up into his eyes.

"I wanted to ask you what I should do. I thought I'd be able to take you out somewhere nice or buy you something nice with that kind of money, but I don't want to go if you don't like it." Ichigo tells her honestly. Rukia grins at him.

"I'll think about it and let you know right before I leave." Rukia tells him. Ichigo nods and they walk to find his friends.

When they find his friends, Tatsuki is pointing at Keigo and telling him he's probably contracted a disease from sleeping with a slut like Itou. Rukia smothers a giggle as Ichigo nods his head in complete agreement.

"She's right Keigo, that girl is probably riddled with gonorrhea." Ichigo tells him, causing Keigo to glare at him.

"Shut up!" Keigo had yelled at Tatsuki and Ichigo in a furious voice. Keigo smiled hugely when Noriko appeared, and he glared at his friends as he dragged her off like yesterday. He was going to milk it for all it was worth while he still could. Nobody follows him today.

"He's hopeless," Tatsuki had sighed, and everyone had agreed. The rest of lunch had passed without incident and to Ichigo's horror the afternoon flew by too.

He gets more and more unhappy the closer he and Rukia get to their homes on the way home from school. Ichigo entered her house with her only to see Shoko has Rukia ready to leave already with her bags by the door.

"You got a letter," Shoko says absently as she hands Rukia an envelope. She sits down and opens it. Her eyes widen when she sees who signed it.

"Wow! It's from a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology!" Rukia says in an impressed voice. "He was impressed with my gymnastics talent!" Rukia tells Ichigo excitedly. "Wow, what a prestigious institute!" Rukia breathes excitedly. Ichigo frowns.

"Is that so great?" Ichigo asks her. Rukia grins at him.

"He says if ever I'm in the city, we should go out for a cup of tea!" She tells him with sparkles in her eyes.

"A date?" Ichigo asks in an annoyed voice.

"No, silly! Just a chance to give him my autograph and let him ask me some questions!" She tells him with a smile. "Can you imagine, getting to talk to someone so distinguished and intelligent, I would really like to speak to him." Rukia tells Ichigo excitedly.

"I don't like it." Ichigo tells her stubbornly. Rukia's eyes light up with amusement.

"How about this? I'll say it's okay for you to visit Keigo while he's at Noriko's house if you say it's okay for me to have a cup of tea with this professor." Rukia bargains with him.

Ichigo has a bad feeling about it when he nods his head in agreement. She kisses him on the cheek as Ikkaku impatiently waves her to come out to the car. When he watches her drive away, he suddenly wants to take back their deal. No tea and no Noriko. He feels like an idiot for agreeing while she looked at him with that excited and happy look in her eyes.

Ichigo can't help but think there's something strange about a professor writing to a fifteen year old girl and asking her on a date. No matter what Rukia calls it, in his mind it is a date. He'll be happy when she comes back Sunday evening.


	22. Chapter 21: Encountering Danger

Chapter 21

_Encountering Danger_

Ichigo ends up working on his homework Friday evening instead of Saturday. He isn't in a very good mood. Probably because some high and mighty professor asked his fiancé on a date. Of course that's not what she calls it, but that's what it is in Ichigo's mind. Didn't she find it at all creepy that the guy had tracked her down to her new address in Karakura Town to send her that letter?

Ichigo is relieved when Rukia calls him at nine o'clock.

"Rukia, I changed my mind. Don't go out with that professor guy and I'll stay far away from Itou's house." Ichigo tells her right away.

"Don't be like that, it's just tea. I will have the driver waiting for me when I leave and Ikkaku will be traveling around with me anywhere I go and keep an eye on me from the distance. Just go visit Keigo and get that easy money, and I'll visit with a fan who just happens to be a first rate professor," Rukia tells him.

"I have such a bad feeling about it though," Ichigo tells her.

"Don't worry so much!" Rukia says with a laugh.

"I can't help it, considering what happened at your house and all." Ichigo tells her.

"You're so sweet. I still think you should collect that easy cash, and stop worrying so much," Rukia argues.

"Just be on your guard okay? I hate that I'm too far away to help you if anything happens out there." Ichigo admits.

"I promise not to let my guard down," Rukia says in a voice that tells him she means it.

"Good. I'm already half done with my homework. Sunday can't come fast enough." Ichigo tells her with a sigh. Rukia giggles.

"We'll be kissing again before you know it," she assures him.

"I can't wait, don't forget to be on your guard." Ichigo tells her again.

"I won't. Good night, Ichigo," Rukia tells him softly.

"Good night," Ichigo tells her.

When he lays down, he still can't get rid of the bad feeling in his gut.

J J J J

Rukia hums as she works on her homework in the morning. She had eaten a very quiet breakfast with Byakuya, and then she had begun working on her weekend assignments so that she'll be free later in the afternoon and for Sunday.

She thinks what Ichigo said last night was so sweet. He would willingly give up over twelve thousand yen if she didn't meet with a male fan in a public place for mere tea. She really wants to meet this professor though, and she's even more flattered that he thinks so highly of her. If there's one thing Rukia can appreciate, it is intelligence.

She'll keep her promise though and stay on her guard. Ikkaku seems to take his job seriously and he won't let her out of his sight in public unless she goes to the ladies room. For these reasons, she has no worries or fears about meeting the renown professor whose intelligence is highly regarded throughout the world. Not to mention, where he teaches is top notch and nearly _impossible_ to get into..

She wonders if she can convince the professor to let her name him as a reference for when she starts applying to school. His recommendation would certainly be taken seriously by any institute she chose to apply at in a couple of years. If he's really a fan, she thinks the meeting with the professor will beneficial to her future.

J J J J

"How long until you're in town?" Aizen asks Gin on the phone.

"I should be there in under two weeks. The surgeon I had to make an appointment with was booked for a few days, and so I have to wait a little longer for my own appointment," Gin answers quickly. "Why, do you already have the treasure?" Gin asks with anticipation.

"Not yet, I may need your help with that as a matter of fact. Get back here as quickly as you can." Aizen tells him before hanging up the phone with a sigh. He hates that he has to play this waiting game before he can finally run his hands up and down Rukia's body and inform her that she belongs to him. His heart races at the mere thought of it. He can't wait to see what she looks like restrained in his underground chamber with fear running through her eyes.

Aizen truly believes that a young woman never looks more beautiful than when she's frightened out of her mind. He particularly likes to use a soft comforting voice to try to lull them into a false sense of security before he inflicts mind numbing pain on their bodies.

Once again his mind wanders to the last girl, Hinamori Momo. She had been an ideal girl. Her face was very young looking, yet she was developed in the body. He had enjoyed it every time he had entered her, and it excited him more when she would scream and cry. He never gagged them while he did things with them, he wanted to hear everything, and he wanted to see all of the pain.

The underground chamber is completely soundproofed, and so he had no worries when he had a pet (his word to refer to his captives) down there. He tests some of his tools. He in particular likes to use electricity to subdue his victims. One of his favorite parts of keeping girls is to watch them look at him fearfully, since they can never guess how he'll be hurting him next.

Aizen sighs in annoyance as he considers the fact that a kid from next door had noticed the commotion when his men went to take Rukia. He isn't exactly happy about the fact that his plans were delayed due to a teenager, but sometimes these things can't be helped. He's still wondering how one kid managed to subdue four men. Obviously they'll have to be more careful on their next attempt, that's all that means to Aizen.

He turns a cup in his hand slowly as he closes his eyes and imagines he has no worries, and he feels much better when he assures himself out loud that he will for sure have that girl here very soon, and when he does, he'll make sure that he makes up for lost time. This thought cheers him up considerably and he spends the morning reading some literature, after he revises her itinerary for the first week.

He's actually in a good mood when the phone rings and an unexpectedly young female voice greets him on the other line. Aizen's eyes get so big he thinks he must have fallen asleep and is dreaming. She actually called him? Never in a million years did he think he would get a call from the girl he wants to own so badly.

Aizen feels a throbbing in his pants when she tells him her name on the phone. He smiles and he sets one hand on his excited bulge before he takes a deep breath and greets her in the most friendly and unthreatening voice he can muster. He's surprised when she asks him how he got her address too. He only gets to talk to her for a couple of minutes though.

Aizen cannot stop laughing when he hangs up the phone, it's too good to be true! He's going to meet her in under a half hour at a tea shop that is just minutes from his home. If he can convince her to go on a walk, or get her alone for even five seconds, then he can nab her.Aizen walks over to a cupboard and pulls out a syringe. If he can inject her with this drug, then she'll be his, without struggle, and most likely without suspicion.

J J J J

Ichigo cannot rid himself of the nagging concern over the letter Rukia received, or her plans for meeting the professor. He could hardly believe she was throwing aside all normal caution to meet with him, just because of who he was. Ichigo feels very grateful that Byakuya stuck Rukia with Ikkaku for the weekend though, because that guy seemed serious about his job, and it was a comfort to Ichigo to know that she was being looked out for even if he wasn't the one doing it.

Ichigo lays back in his bed and sighs. He's already finished his homework and now he has nothing to do until Rukia comes home unless he decides to go and visit Keigo for a large sum of money. When the phone rings and Yuzu yells up that Rukia is on the phone, Ichigo is surprised. She would normally wait until nine to call him.

"Hi," Ichigo says and he grins when he can hear the smile in her voice.

"Hi Ichigo! I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry it's worrying you that I want to meet the professor, and so I decided that I would call you just before leaving and I'll call you when I get back home." Rukia tells him, trying to make him feel better about the situation.

"You're really going to meet that guy?" Ichigo asks, wishing he didn't hate the tingling sensation he's getting just by the mere mention of it.

"Yes, and Ikkaku won't let me leave his sight." Rukia assures Ichigo.

"Promise me you won't go anywhere with the professor." Ichigo says suddenly. "I have a really bad feeling about this." Ichigo tells her miserably.

"Of course I wouldn't go anywhere with him!" Rukia says in a surprised voice.

"You don't understand. I have this really bad feeling about this weekend, I really wish you were here instead of there." Ichigo tells her, not knowing how to explain his gut worries.

"I'll be kissing you tomorrow, I promise!" Rukia says with a laugh. "I love how you worry about me though, but this is a famous professor! What if he's a big enough fan that he offers to let me use him as a reference? Think of the weight that would hold over any university I wanted to go to!" Rukia says excitedly.

"That's your main reason for going?" Ichigo asks with a sigh.

"I would like to sit down and have an intelligent talk with a genius." Rukia says softly. "I'm even more flattered that I'm being given an opportunity to talk to him, he is respected throughout the world for his brilliance, and I think it's a once in a lifetime opportunity that I shouldn't pass up." Rukia explains.

"Alright, I get it. Just don't let your guard down. I think that letter is beyond suspicious. I think it's strange that a grown man would write to a fifteen year old teenager and invite her out for tea, and I think it's inappropriate whether he's a world class professor or a business man. I think it stinks." Ichigo tells her.

"Why are you saying these things? You really don't think I had the ability to inspire interest based on my gymnastics talent?" Rukia's voice sounds extremely hurt.

"That's not what I meant-" Ichigo starts to say but he's stopped by the sound of Rukia crying.

"I'll call you when I get back. I'm going to go now." Rukia says, clearly upset. Ichigo growls angrily when he hears her hang up without waiting for his response. He hadn't been trying to insult her at all! He loves her, and thinks she's more wonderful than anything on this earth! He can't ignore his gut feeling though.

Ichigo decides he won't move from the spot he's at now until she calls him back to tell him she's back at Byakuya's mansion safe and sound.

J J J J

Rukia is sitting in the car and Ikkaku is up front with the driver. She should be at the designated meeting place in under fifteen minutes. She's scheduled to meet the professor in twenty minutes. She had decided against telling Byakuya who she was going out to meet for fear he might have the same reaction as Ichigo. She's hurt that Ichigo said the whole thing stunk.

She blinks several times quickly to fight back the tears that threaten to spill down her face. She knows Ichigo was just being protective and she really loves that about him, but doesn't he have any faith in her ability to watch her own back? Just because the professor is famous, doesn't mean she'd put up with it if he acts lecherous.

She thinks what bothers her most is that he finds it impossible to believe she could inspire a grown man with her gymnastics. She's worked hard for many years in her martial arts and her gymnastics, and she's glad someone noteworthy finally noticed.

Now all she wants is for the meeting to go smoothly so she can call Ichigo back and tell him that he was wrong. She runs her fingers nervously through her hair. She doesn't even want to consider the idea that Ichigo could be one hundred percent right about Professor Aizen Sousuke.

As she gets closer to her destination, she starts feeling a bit angry at Ichigo's disregard for someone as acclaimed as Aizen Sousuke. Rukia puts her chin up as the car stops. She brushes some nonexistent dirt off of her pink dress and she promises herself that she'll have a wonderful time , she won't think about Ichigo's negativity.

J J J J

Aizen watches as she gets out of the car and a bald man follows her, although at a bit of a distance. He realizes her brother has security on her and Aizen wants to swear. He can't very well inject her with anything if someone is watching her. He decides to keep a close eye on the bald guy and he looks back at Rukia's legs before she enters the establishment for their date.

He rubs himself a bit as he looks at her from head to toe. She's even better in person than in the picture. Aizen smiles as he opens the car door. No reason to keep her waiting, he'd like to get a good close up view of her now, since she looks so perfect from a distance. He grabs his camera and stands up. Aizen hurries across the street and inside. It's a little darker inside than outside and he blinks his eyes as he peers around looking for her.

He sees her immediately, although she's not looking up when he approaches. He also spots her bodyguard right away. His shiny head makes him hard to miss. Aizen smiles his most friendly and unassuming smile before he speaks.

"Kuchiki Rukia-san, I presume?" He asks her with a spark in his eyes. Rukia jumps to her feet as he bows to her and she immediately bows back.

"Yes, Aizen-sensei. It's a pleasure to meet you," Rukia tells him, and he chuckles happily at her. She watches as he sets a camera on the table and then focuses back on her.

"No, the pleasure is all mine, after all your talent is a sight to behold," Aizen tells her in a smooth voice, and Rukia blushes.

"Well thank you, I think your intelligence is what's truly amazing though," Rukia tells him with a perky smile.

"So you appreciate intelligence do you? That warms my heart you dear girl. I don't believe such a pretty lady has ever met with me due to being impressed with my mind." He tells her, managing perfectly not to sound suspicious. Rukia's eyes widen and she gives him a genuinely flattered smile. He's even more brilliant looking than she had imagined him to be. She feels star struck.

"Wow." She says stupidly as she studies the intelligent man before her. His glasses make him appear almost studious, and she can't feel a negative vibe coming from him at all. She blushes when she realizes he is studying her face as intently as she is studying his. "I've always appreciated intelligence." Rukia finally says with her face still red from being caught studying him so intently.

"You're a rare treasure indeed." Aizen says, feeling excited at the depth in which she's studying his face. He can perfectly imagine her features twisted in fear as he stares back at her. He realizes if he stands up, she'll see evidence of his arousal. He grins at that thought. He wonders if her eyes would widen at the realization that he finds her attractive. She's very young, and she looks so innocent.

The way she stares without looking away gives away her own personal interest in him. Aizen has always liked this best about inexperienced girls, they find it much more difficult to hide their emotions, and they're easier to read than a children's book.

"What is your favorite event in gymnastics?" Rukia asks as she continues looking at the famous man in front of her.

"I particularly enjoy the uneven bars and the floor routines," Aizen says, remembering she had done well in her floor exercises in her last competition according to the article online. "I would also be honored if you would let me know when you next plan to compete so that I may come and admire you again. I have never seen talent like yours, you kept me mesmerized when you performed." Aizen tells her.

"I don't have any upcoming competitions for awhile," Rukia says in a regretful voice. Aizen smiles.

"What about a private performance then?" Aizen asks, earning a quick look of surprise from the girl. Her eyes narrow slightly and he chuckles. She laughs back as she mistakenly thinks he was joking since he laughed.

"I thought you were serious for a second!" Rukia says with a laugh. Aizen smiles to hide his annoyance as he realizes she isn't completely at ease with him as she'd let him first believe.

"Truth be told, if you ever wanted to invite me to your practice, I'd be honored to watch. I already told you I've never seen talent like yours, I would consider it a treat to be able to watch you." Aizen says, and this time it doesn't sound creepy.

"I'll keep that in mind," Rukia tells him with a relaxed grin. "Maybe I'll even call you when I have another competition, and invite you to come watch." she says as the waiter comes over to take their order.

After they place their orders and the waiter leaves, Rukia waits for the professor to say something. He's quiet for a minute and Rukia uses this opportunity to study her surroundings for a minute. She looks away from him and the moment she does, he lets his gaze rest on her chest rather than her eyes. He is looking at her face again when she turns her head back towards him.

Aizen feels good even though he knows it's unlikely he'll get her today with the bald security guy watching with eagle eyes, after all, she came all the way from Karakura Town just to meet him for a date.

He's already snowed her, and he's sure she has nothing but adoration for him, the way she smiles up at him so trustingly.

He asks her about school and she responds energetically and he finds himself surprised to learn she's actually a very intelligent young lady. A few times during their date, he reaches below the table to rub himself without being noticeable about it. She certainly never realizes. She reveals all kinds of things to him too. Including the fact that she has a morning gymnastics practice session the next morning, and the name of her coach who will join her.

"I'd love to watch you," Aizen repeats when she tells him her morning plans.

"It will be at the Kuchiki's private gym tomorrow morning at eight if you want to come watch." Rukia says in agreement.

"Where exactly is that?" Aizen asked, and Rukia explained to him how to get there. When tea was nearly finished, Aizen decided to try a delay tactic.

"I always like to go for a walk after having tea, would you like to join me? I find I enjoy your company as much as I enjoy your performances." Aizen tells her quietly. Rukia wants to say yes, since she knows Ikkaku will be following, but she promised Ichigo she wouldn't go anywhere with him. Aizen can tell she's unsure. "It's a request from your number one fan," he says in a soft voice and Rukia remembers Ichigo didn't think he could be a real fan. She gets a tiny bit angry as she remembers that and she grins at the professor.

"I'd love to take a short walk with you before I head home." Rukia says, feeling a small twinge of guilt for breaking her word to Ichigo. She'll still stay on her guard though, but she's not too worried since Ikkaku accompanies her everywhere.

Aizen calls the waiter over, and he passes the waiter a camera.

"Please, Kuchiki-san, come over here and take a picture with me," Aizen says in as innocent a voice as he can. Rukia smiles and stands immediately. She walks over to where he's sitting and stands next to him with a smile.

Aizen attempts to throw his arm around her casually as he intends to grope her breast on the pretext of an accident. When he lifts his arm to throw it around her though, she reacts so quickly he doesn't have time to think. Her hand meets his wrist before he can settle his arm around her and she grips his wrist very tightly in her hand, so hard that it's painful. Aizen sucks in a breath at the pain and Rukia immediately drops his arm and looks apologetic.

"I'm so sorry! I reacted on instinct, I didn't mean to hurt you!" Rukia tells him as she stares at him with wide eyes.

"No, I just wanted to put my arm around you for the picture, I didn't mean to startle you," Aizen promptly lies.

Aizen can hardly believe what just happened. This tiny little girl just inflicted pain on him.

_It's supposed to be the other way around._

He stands next to her without touching her and the waiter suppresses a smile as he snaps the photo. Aizen watches her warily as she notices her bodyguard trying to get her attention.

Luckily for Rukia, Ikkaku informs her as she's about to delay her departure from Aizen that she must get home right away.

Rukia turns and gives Aizen an apologetic look and tells him she'll see him in the morning before she leaves for the car with Ikkaku. Rukia is very relieved that she's not going to end up breaking her promise to Ichigo. She wonders why she is needed at home so urgently the whole ride there.

J J J J

Byakuya paces. When Ikkaku had called to tell him that Rukia was meeting with an older man for tea, Byakuya didn't know what to think of it. He had told Ikkaku to get her home immediately after she finished her tea. It's not her fault that she has a false sense of security, he hasn't been forthcoming about the danger she's in.

He also doesn't know why Rukia would meet any man for tea, and he wonders how he'll get her to tell him the answer to that. He sighs in frustration. He knows the dangers but she does not. He doesn't know how to discuss things with her so that she isn't terrified but so that she's more cautious as well.

Byakuya realizes belatedly that bringing her here might not have been the smartest idea. If only he hadn't needed to be here this weekend. Business called for it.

He breathes a sigh of relief when Rukia walks in the room unharmed and safe.

"Rukia." Byakuya says in mixture of relief and curiosity.

"Yes, Byakuya ni-sama?" Rukia asks nervously. She waits as her brother takes a step closer to her.

"Who were you out with today?" He asks her in a soft voice. Rukia looks confused by this question.

"I met a fan of my gymnastics for tea. He's a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology." Rukia replies to Byakuya. There's not a whole lot he can say to that. "I had planned on asking him if I might be able to name him as a reference when it comes time for me to apply at universities, but before I had a chance to ask him, I was told you needed me home." Rukia says, staring at Byakuya.

"Yes. I haven't told you this yet, and I thought you should know, Aomori has been missing for several days." Byakuya tells her, making her forget all of her thoughts regarding Aizen.

"Sachiko-san?" Rukia says softly, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "She was always so kind to me! What do you mean, she's missing?" Rukia asks her brother, as a tear spills down her cheek.

"We don't know anything. She just up and disappeared right before the house in Karakura Town was attacked. The other thing is that I got word that a prowler had been spotted around the house. I just want you to be alert of danger. I thought I needed to tell you and so I had Ikkaku bring you back." Byakuya says, hoping his words don't scare her too much.

"You should have told me sooner! I can't believe Sachiko-san is missing!" Rukia says as she walks slowly to her room. She worries about the elderly servant for about fifteen minutes before she remembers to call Ichigo.

J J J J

Ichigo dives for the phone when it finally rings after he's stayed put for nearly two hours. When he hears Rukia's voice, it sounds sad rather than mad though.

"Rukia? Is something wrong?" Ichigo asks the moment he hears her voice.

"One of our elderly servants, Sachiko-san, is missing. I didn't find out until about twenty minutes ago, and I was really upset. I had to calm down before I called you." Rukia tells him.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo asks her next. Rukia immediately seeks to reassure him.

"I'm okay, I'm just a bit upset, I always really liked Sachiko-san." Rukia tells him.

"How was tea?" Ichigo asks next.

"It was nice." Rukia says, momentarily forgetting the incident where she had gripped the professor's arm when he'd tried to put an arm around her.

"I'm glad you made it home safe." Ichigo tells her with a sigh of relief.

"He really was a fan of my gymnastics, you know." Rukia says defensively.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that it was impossible for that to happen, I just had a bad feeling about it," Ichigo says, hoping she still isn't mad. He can't stand the idea of her being mad at him.

"I told him he could watch practice tomorrow," Rukia says. Ichigo's quiet for a minute.

"Why?" Ichigo finally asks. Rukia starts pacing as she explains.

"He asked me to invite him to my next competition, but that won't be for a long time. He can watch me practice. Coach Yamasaki will be there and Ikkaku will wait outside the gym. I told him I would be pleased for him to observe." Rukia explains.

"Oh," Ichigo says, wishing she had not done that.

"Have you gone to Itou's house yet?" Rukia asks him, changing the subject.

"No," Ichigo tells her, "I've been waiting for you to call me back." He admits in a worried voice. Rukia smiles.

"It's okay, you know. I trust you. I still think you should collect the easy money while you have an opportunity to do so." Rukia tells him. Ichigo imagines some old pervert checking her out while she practices her routines.

"What if that girl does something sick though?" Ichigo asks her, knowing full well that Itou's promiscuous reputation comes with good reason.

"Just don't look at her if she does." Rukia says sensibly. "I'm sure that if you go, you'll leave marveling at how easy it was to make that much money." Rukia tells him, as she sinks down onto her bed. She still feels guilty that she was going to break her word to Ichigo and go for a walk with the professor after tea. She's relieved she was given an excuse out of it though too, and now there's no reason to say what she had been about to do, since she did not do it.

"I don't know," Ichigo tells her and Rukia smiles.

"How about this? I'll forgive you for hurting my feelings earlier if you just go." Rukia tells him and she hears his sigh of defeat.

"If you insist," Ichigo relents and Rukia grins into the phone.

"I'll call you back at nine, okay? You can tell me how it went." Rukia tells him.

"Okay, I can't wait to see you." Ichigo says softly.

"Me either," Rukia says before hanging up. She really doesn't want him around Noriko, but she trusts him which is why she insisted. Rukia realizes she was never _really_ mad at Ichigo, and she lays her head back on her pillow. She smiles as she remembers the way they had made love.

She closes her eyes and suddenly remembers the way the professor's hand had come so close to touching her and how she'd reacted without even thinking about it. She wonders why she never has these kinds of instant reactions with Ichigo.

When she'd looked at him, he'd seemed so shocked at the way she was gripping his wrist. Rukia had realized afterwards that she might have insulted the professor with that and he may not want to watch her practice now.

He had called her pretty upon meeting her though and he'd asked her more than once for the chance to see her performance. He'd also mentioned that he enjoyed her company. She hadn't even once during those comments felt like he was leering and he hadn't made her uncomfortable. His gaze had been one of intelligence, not of a man with sexual thoughts on the brain. She wonders again why she gripped him using so much of her power. Why her instincts had reacted so strongly to him touching her.

Rukia feels very flattered that a man of his reputation would find enjoyment in her company. She had never dreamed that someone as widely known as him would ever admire her for anything, least of all her tumbling abilities.

Her mind leaps back to the way she grabbed him, she feels bad about it. She decides to call Aizen to make a request. She grabs her phone to call him and she gets his voicemail, he must not be home yet. She leaves him a message.

"Hello Aizen-sensei, this is Kuchiki Rukia. I wanted to thank you again for joining me for tea and I wanted to ask you a favor. Will you please make a copy of the picture we took together today for me? You're the one who is a celebrity." Rukia also leaves her cell phone number on his voicemail. Rukia hopes he gets the message in time to make her a copy so she doesn't have to wait for it to me mailed.

J J J J

Ichigo sighs as he walks towards Itou's house. Keigo had called him and asked him when he was finally going to come over and he'd sounded a bit drunk too. Ichigo walks slowly and he hopes the time he's there goes quickly. He's not entirely sure how he got roped into this either. Somehow Rukia will not be mad at him if he goes. Ichigo doesn't think he understands any of the day's events.

He almost passes the girl's house, he's so deep in thought, but he realizes it just in time and turns up the path. He knocks on the door and he is relieved when Keigo answers by himself.

"Noriko's in the shower, she just got in. You have good timing, I just finished having sex." Keigo says with a goofy grin. Ichigo just nods his head and steps inside. He kicks off his shoes and slips on the indoors slipped Keigo nudges at him with his feet.

Noriko's parents happen to be very wealthy, although not as wealthy as the Kuchiki family. When Ichigo looks around he sees all kinds of evidence that there is money in the family.

"I didn't need to know that." Ichigo tells Keigo as he looks at him expectantly.

"Try some of her dad's sake!" Keigo says, still smiling goofily.

"Give me my money." Ichigo tells him, ready to walk out the door.

"Noriko has it." Keigo tells Ichigo, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen in surprise. He hadn't expected that.

"Why?" Ichigo asks him.

"I asked her to hold onto it. Don't worry so much. Like I said, have some sake." Keigo says as he guides Ichigo over to the alcohol Ichigo feels like a drink would do him wonders right now. Not that he's done a lot of drinking in his life, but he's feeling fairly stressed out today.

"Fine." Ichigo says as Keigo pours him a cup.

"Tell me you brought your trunks, she has a sweet hot tub." Keigo says as he hands him the cup.

"I'm wearing them under my pants." Ichigo tells him. "Although I didn't figure I'd actually get in." He admits as he takes a sip of the sake. On a day like today it is the perfect drink.

"Follow me." Keigo says, and he leads Ichigo to a sun room with a bubbling hot tub inside.

"Wow," Ichigo says, impressed. "It really is nice."

"Aren't you glad you came over in your trunks now?" Keigo asks with a grin.

"Hell yeah. I'm even more glad that Noriko is in the shower." Ichigo tells him.

"Yeah, go ahead and get in. I'm going to go walk in on her while she's in there." Keigo says with a devilish grin.

"Why? Aren't you having sex with her?" Ichigo asks, not understanding.

"Who knows how long she'll let me keep doing that. I have to get it while the getting is good!" Keigo tells him as he bounces off, leaving Ichigo alone with the hot tub and his cup of sake. He shakes his head at Keigo's idiocy.

Ichigo looks at the bubbles as he sips his sake. He sets down the cup and figures time will go by more quickly if he actually enjoys himself. He removes his shirt and pants very quickly and he kicks off the indoor slippers that he'd slipped into and he pulls off his socks. He slips into the tub and lets out a moan of pleasure. He leans back in the tub and grabs his cup. He closes his eyes and sips his sake.

He's left alone for nearly five minutes and he feels very relaxed. His eyes are closed though, when Noriko enters the room and she smiles victoriously at the sight of Kurosaki in her hot tub.

She's pretty sure she has Keigo taken care of. She'd told him that if he let her have a private talk with Kurosaki for twenty minutes, she'd come back and do whatever he wanted to do for the next twenty minutes. She has no intention of keeping that deal though, unless she absolutely has to.

Noriko looks down at the new bikini that she'd bought for the occasion and she thinks it's a shame that she won't be able to show off the top half. She isn't stupid. She knows her breasts are more interesting to a man than her bikini top. She unties her top and lets it fall. He still hasn't opened his eyes. She has his money in a little bag at her feet. She puts her bikini top on top of the bag before she climbs into the tub with Kurosaki.

His eyes widen when he hears someone joining him, and Ichigo opens his eyes to be greeted by a topless Noriko who has just gotten in but hasn't sat down yet. She moves directly in front of him and stays standing, making sure he gets a nice long look at her chest. Ichigo blinks and then he immediately closes his eyes. He can't even stand without bumping into her.

"Why aren't you dressed?" Ichigo asks in an aggravated tone. Noriko couldn't be happier that he closed his eyes. She edges a bit closer.

"Open your eyes Kurosaki. I never wear a top in here when my parents aren't home." Noriko says, smiling. Ichigo doesn't open his eyes, and he's even more shocked when she deposits herself in his lap, since he isn't looking.

Ichigo immediately tries to push her off but she's already wrapping herself up on him and all he ends up doing is sliding his hands across her wet skin in unsuccessful attempts to get her off of him. He stops moving altogether in shock when she presses her breasts against his chest.

"Get the hell off of me." Ichigo's voice is a dangerous growl.

"No, I like this." Noriko tells him with a laugh. "Aren't you jealous of Keigo?" She asks him in a sultry voice.

"Why would I be jealous of him?" Ichigo asks as he attempts to push her off of him again, only to have her grab him in his crotch. Ichigo jumps at the sudden pain she's inflicting on him and he winces. "Get off!" Ichigo orders again.

"Because he's getting laid." Noriko says as she lessens her grip but keeps her proximity. "Don't you want that too?" She asks as she rubs her chest against his again.

Ichigo has had more than enough. He'd tried being gentle and he'd told her to get off of him, but she isn't listening. Ichigo stands and she falls off of him into the water. Ichigo uses this opportunity to jump out of the tub. She's standing in the tub again with an annoyed look on her face. She quickly follows him out. He stands there glaring at her with his arms folded.

"I don't want you touching me at all." Ichigo tells her. "You disgust me." Ichigo tells her. Noriko looks really pissed off now. She can't believe she just got rejected as she stands there half naked, and now he won't look below her eyes.

"Are you sure you don't like men?" Noriko asks in a snotty voice. She's never been so thoroughly ignored topless before.

"I don't like sluts." Ichigo tells her as he locates a towel. He dries himself off, but Noriko is still standing there, feeling humiliated.

"How dare you?" Noriko says loudly, then she shouts. "How _dare_ you!" Ichigo glares at her.

"Me? What about you? When did I ever give you the impression that it was okay for you to throw yourself all over me?" Ichigo asks in a tense voice. He grabs his shirt and throws it on. "Where in the hell is Keigo?" Ichigo asks in a low voice.

"Who knows." Noriko snaps as she stomps away. A minute later, Keigo returns.

"Isn't she wonderful? She just prances around topless around here, isn't it great?" Keigo asks Ichigo right after he's finished putting on the last of his clothes.

"She's disgusting, and I told her so myself. Give me my money and stop messing around with that whore." Ichigo snaps. Keigo bends down and picks up Noriko's bikini top and points at the bag.

"It's right there. I told you she had it on her, didn't I?" Keigo asks with a smirk. He ties the bikini around his head and keeps grinning like a fool.

"I'm going home. Do me a favor and don't ever invite me over here ever again." Ichigo tells Keigo before he storms over to the door and grabs his shoes. He gets them on very quickly and slams the front door on his way out.

J J J J

"So how did it go at Itou's house?" Rukia asks Ichigo on the phone.

"Horrible. She lulled me into a false sense of security by not being present for the first ten minutes I was there, and then she appeared topless and tried to crawl all over me when she found me in the hot tub." Ichigo answers Rukia.

"What happened next?" Rukia asks, annoyed that the girl had the nerve to be so forward with Ichigo.

"You know what happened, I got her the hell off of me and I told her I was disgusted by her and that I wasn't interested in sluts." Ichigo answers in an irritated voice. "I wouldn't have even gone if you hadn't insisted," Ichigo whines.

"How did she react?" Rukia asks next.

"She was pretty furious. She marched away and I told Keigo never to invite me over there again." Ichigo tells her.

"So nothing happened?" Rukia asks him.

"She tried to make something happen, but no nothing happened." Ichigo says softly. "You're the only girl I want around me in any form of naked state." Ichigo tells her.

"I love you, Ichigo. I'll see you tomorrow night." Rukia had said smiling at his words.

"See you tomorrow, I love you." Ichigo responds. He doesn't bother to tell her about the continuing nagging feeling in his gut either.

J J J J

Aizen listens to the voicemail for the fifth time from Kuchiki Rukia. He smiles at how she asks for a copy of the picture. He can tell by the way she asks that it's very important to her that she has a copy, and he's certain she feels badly for the way she grabbed him so roughly. It still chafes him a bit that he wasn't able to cop a feel like he should have easily been able to do.

He grins as he thinks about the pain he'll surely inflict on her one day. Those reflexes of hers worry him though. She hadn't even been facing him when she'd stopped his touch, she'd done it on pure instinct from what he could see, and that confuses him. He hadn't expected that kind of swift reaction out of her.

After pondering for twenty minutes, he decides he'll call her back, later in the evening. He tries to come up with several ideas for how to get her alone tomorrow after practice. He also tries to come up with several innocent excuses to touch her without getting his hand ripped off.

He also decides to tape record their conversation, as he plans on saving the voicemail as well. This game of cat and mouse has been making things so exciting and he realizes he enjoys the hunt as much as the spoils.

When it gets late enough, nearly eleven at night, he undresses and he finally calls her back, and he grins at the way her voice sounds. It seems like he woke her up.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you? I was eating dinner at an old student's home and I just now arrived back and got your message. I wanted to call you back, I didn't think you'd already be in bed," Aizen tells her after her groggy hello. He grins when he hears her clear her throat.

"Aizen-sensei! Don't worry about it!" Rukia says into the phone.

"So you want a copy of my picture, isn't that what you said?" Aizen asks her.

"Um, yes. You're a famous sensei, and I would love to have a copy of that picture." Rukia says haltingly.

"Only if you take that walk with me that you skipped out on today. After your practice." Aizen says in a cheerful voice.

"Of course! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run like that!" Rukia apologizes. Aizen begins to massage himself.

"It's fine, after all I get to watch you perform tomorrow right? That's enough to make up for rushing away the way you did today. A walk with me will compensate for the picture. Do we have a bargain?" Aizen asks her in a light happy sounding voice.

"Oh yes, that sounds fair." Rukia agrees instantly. "I guess I'll see you in the morning then." Rukia says, attempting to end the call but Aizen stops her.

"Hold on, Kuchiki-san, is something bothering you? You don't sound as happy as you did when I met you earlier today." Aizen says as he awaits her answer.

"Oh no, I'm okay," Rukia says unconvincingly.

"I'm more than happy to listen, to whatever your problem is," Aizen assures her.

"Well, the truth is that someone I was very close to has disappeared without a trace. I can't seem to relax." Rukia finally admits, in a quivering voice, which Aizen finds to be a huge turn on. He smiles hugely before talking in a normal voice.

"You were very close to this person?" Aizen asks as he suppresses the urge to moan out loud.

"Yes, she was very special to me. She was kind and elderly too. I hate it that she's gone missing, it's very scary." Rukia says with a small sob catching in her throat. "Not to mention, that's why my brother has security following me everywhere." Rukia says, her voice cracking. Aizen smiles in pleasure. He is so pleased he decided to record this. It sounds as though she's about to cry. He pulls the mouthpiece away from his mouth to let out a soft moan at the way his body is reacting to both her voice and his own touch.

"That must be difficult, having some guy follow you everywhere." Aizen says sympathetically. Rukia sniffles and Aizen lets out a long breath of air at the sound.

"It _is_, trust me! He'll follow us when we go for our walk tomorrow too." Rukia warns him.

_Not if I can help it_. Aizen thinks that to himself though.

"It's alright, it's not like I need complete privacy to enjoy a walk with a beautiful young lady," Aizen says generously, and Rukia sniffles as though she's calming down. Aizen had no idea that talking to her like this would excite him to this level.

"I'm glad it doesn't bother you," Rukia says softly.

"A true fan would never be offended at that. I had never expected you to be such an intelligent, unique, and stunning young lady. I found myself hoping to have tea with you again one day. It's not often that I meet someone with a superior mind like your own." Aizen says, stroking her ego as well as himself. He can practically hear her blush.

"Really? I would be so honored to be able to meet someone as amazing as you again!" Rukia tells him enthusiastically, wondering why she had even doubted him for a moment. Professors at the Tokyo Institute of Technology all had spotless reputations to go along with their acclaimed minds. She smiles hugely at his flattery.

"Before you know it, we'll be regular friends." Aizen says with a chuckle. Rukia smiles into the phone.

"I'd like that. I'll see you in the morning, sensei." Rukia says, and this time Aizen hangs up too.

He stops the recorder and grins at the way things are currently working out. He smiles as he falls asleep.


	23. Chapter 22: Sunday

Chapter 22

_Sunday_

Rukia is surprised to see her coach arrive to practice with a humongous man following him. He reminds her a bit of Ikkaku, the way he follows her coach.

Byakuya had decided to take no chances this weekend. He had sent one of the scariest bodyguards he could locate to escort the coach to the gym. Zaraki Kenpachi was definitely an intimidating sight, and almost twice as big as most normal men. He had instructed Kenpachi and Ikkaku to work together to guard Rukia and Coach Yamasaki while they were at the gym, and Kenpachi would also escort the coach back home after practice.

Rukia realizes that the professor hasn't made it there yet and she informs Kenpachi and Ikkaku that she's expecting a spectator for practice, and to be sure to allow the professor inside without harassing him. They had nodded at her and she and her coach had unlocked and entered the private gym.

Aizen was already there and he was swearing at his insanely bad luck in regards to Kuchiki Rukia. Now there are two people watching out for her. One seemed concentrated on the coach, and the other on her. Aizen can't imagine how he'll find an opportunity to capture her under these kinds of conditions. He stands out of sight of the two bodyguards as he ponders what would be the most effective way to grab the girl. He knows that once he has her, he'll be able to make up for the lost time. He feels elated at that thought.

He had drugs, he could certainly knock her unconscious in two seconds flat if he had an opportunity to pick her up and carry her away after the fact, but if he did that kind of thing, he certainly couldn't have any people around who could say who the girl had been with last.

Aizen sighs as he pulls her copy of the picture out of his pocket. He had hoped to get a picture where he was grabbing her breast but she had thwarted his plan. Right now, he thinks her trust could be helpful, if he can figure out the correct way to make it work to his benefit. Puzzles are his specialty.

He smiles confidently as he walks towards the gym, and he realizes that worrying about it won't help. If anyone can come up with the perfect solution to this kind of problem, it's him. He certainly won't mind watching her practice. He has a light jacket in his arms as though he brought it in case he gets cold, but he really brought it so that he'd be able to touch himself if the mood struck him. When Aizen is led inside, he notices that there are several areas in the gym where one can sit.

He chooses a spot that gives him a good view but isn't right by the bodyguards. He lucks out since the horse for vaulting is right in front of him. He can see everything easily, but he's not so exposed where he sits. He breathes a sigh of relief. The girl he's come to watch isn't out of the dressing room yet.

Aizen decides to contemplate how having a good rapport could work to his benefit to achieve his far sinister goals. He folds the jacket across his lap and when she walks out of the dressing room, he's glad he did so in advance, he has an instant reaction to seeing her in such a tight leotard in person. He watches avidly during her practice session and the two hour practicesession passes by quickly for Aizen.

When Rukia finishes, she changes into a long sleeved high necked dress. Her locket isn't visible, and she hands her bag to Ikkaku and asks him to run it to the car when she comes out. Aizen walks over to her with his jacket in his hands in front of him and he gives her a bow.

"Thank you for allowing me to watch, you were tremendous!" Aizen tells her, a small smile playing about his lips. Rukia bows in return.

"Thank you Aizen-sensei. I'm happy you enjoyed it." Rukia says as she follows Ikkaku out of the building. Rukia locks up behind them as they leave. Aizen glances around and realizes the coach has already left, and with him, the gigantic bodyguard. They're still in view of the bald guy though as Rukia double checks that the door is locked before turning around.

"Is there a place around here that we can take a walk?" Aizen asks her softly. Rukia glances up at him and gives him a shy smile. The gym is on the outskirts of the city and behind the gym is a beautiful area.

"Follow me." Rukia tells him. Ikkaku who was standing at the car follows them at a distance.

Rukia has already told him he doesn't need to be breathing down her neck, she'd mentioned that on the car ride to practice. She had also said she might take a walk after practice and that if he insisted on following that he should do so at a distance so that he doesn't offend the prestigious professor. She had grumbled that she'd never convince him to let her be a reference if they treated him like a common criminal.

Aizen looks down at the beautiful petite girl at his side and he resists the urge to touch her. Instead he decides to stroke her ego some more.

"I noticed that you were very intelligent when we sat down for tea yesterday, have you been considering your future plans?" Aizen asks, even as he visualizes the future plans he has for her.

In Rukia's mind, his comment is a stroke of good luck. It's the perfect opening to ask his permission to use him as a reference. She smiles at what she perceives to be her good fortune.

"Actually I have been doing a lot of thinking about my future. I'm not sure what I want to do yet, but I do know that I'll want to enter a good university after high school." Rukia tells him in a breathless voice. Her excitement is showing in her voice. "I wonder if when I'm applying, if I might be able to name you as a reference," Rukia asks with a shy smile.

Aizen chuckles and scratches his chin. He thinks for a moment on how to answer this question so that it benefits him.

"Would I turn down a friend?" Aizen asks her with a warm smile, Rukia smiles in response.

"I hope not!" Rukia says, with a little happy hop in her step. "I'm leaving the city today though. Have you ever been to Karakura Town?" Rukia asks him next.

"There is a friend of the family who lives there, he's been bugging me to visit him for ages." Aizen tells her with a hint of a plan forming in his mind. "Maybe I'll have to visit now that I have two friends there." Aizen says slowly.

"Yes, the cell phone number that I left on your voicemail will still work when I'm in Karakura Town," Rukia assures him. "Call if you're in town." She says with an inviting smile. They keep walking along and they slowly turn in a circle. Her bodyguard is in sight but he's got his back to them, and when they talk, he can't possibly hear them. They'd have to be shouting for him to hear.

"If you give me your email address I can add you to the list of people who receive news about upcoming events at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. If ever you're in town and an event interests you, then you could attend it if you liked. If you let me know, I'll even accompany you." Aizen tells her as he lets his gaze slide over her profile. She really is lovely, he finds her more stimulating than he did Hinamori Momo.

"What a great idea!" Rukia exclaims. "Except I don't have a pen and paper." Rukia tells him. Aizen smiles at her.

"Just say it." He tells her. Rukia complies. When she finishes, Aizen repeats it back to her verbatim. Rukia grins when he gets it right.

"Wow, will you remember it later?" She asks him with a smile.

"It won't be a problem, if it is I'll call you." Aizen tells her, smiling back.

"Wow," Rukia says, her amazement clearly obvious.

They walk around for about fifteen minutes and before they part, Aizen presents her with the picture. Rukia who is once again feeling quite star struck just holds the picture in both of her hands and smiles up at him.

"Keep in touch, I'll do the same," Aizen assures her. "It's not very often that a person like myself gets to meet someone who's so intelligent at such a young age. It's been a pleasure, truly." He tells her magnanimously.

"Oh, I will Aizen-sensei! Thanks again, for everything!" Rukia says a bit louder as he walks away and she gets into the car with Ikkaku.

J J J J

Ichigo can feel the excitement building, Rukia had called to say she'd be home in under ten minutes, and he can't believe how much he's missed her after only not seeing her at all on Saturday. He sits on his porch and waits for the car to appear. He's glad she'll back soon.

He hadn't enjoyed his weekend at all. Itou had made it even worse. Ichigo can't for the life of him figure out why that girl seems to think he's attracted to her. He knows who she is on the inside, and it disgusts him. He can't even look at her without feeling disgusted. He really questions Keigo's self respect to sleep with her after the way she blew him off last year.

Ichigo holds a small box in his hand. He had gone shopping for her this morning, and he hopes she likes it. It's a silver rabbit bracelet. It should look nice with her locket. The rabbits on the bracelet have hearts in between them too. He thinks she'll probably love it.

His heart races faster when a car pulls into her driveway. Ichigo jumps up to go greet her, and he grins when she steps out of the car. She's wearing a dark purple dress that shows off her locket and she looks gorgeous. She returns his smile happily and she runs into his arms.

Ichigo wraps her up in his arms and holds her tightly. He feels a huge wave of relief wash over him. He doesn't understand why he feels it so strongly, but he feels like she was in danger the whole time she was gone, and he's glad she's safe in his arms again.

"I'm so glad you're back," Ichigo tells her huskily, before kissing her on the cheek.

"Me too," Rukia says smiling up at him happily. "I missed you." Rukia whispers with a wink.

"I missed you too. You're going to come over for dinner tonight, right?" Ichigo asks her as he smells her hair and lets himself enjoy the wave of happiness that's rushing through his entire body.

"Of course!" Rukia says with a laugh.

"I have something for you," Ichigo says quietly. He presents her with the box and Rukia smiles up at him, with her eyes sparkling.

"Thank you! I feel like I keep falling in love with you all over again, why do you make me feel this way?" Rukia says as she holds the box tightly for a moment before opening it.

"It's the same for me," Ichigo whispers back as she gets a gander at the gift he bought for her. Her breath catches in her throat and she smiles up at him with a very ecstatic look on her face, before she beams at him.

"I love it," Rukia tells him and her voice cracks. "And I love you." She tells him. Ichigo pulls her back into his arms.

"I love you, too." He whispers into her ear. He can't shake the feeling that he came close to losing her and he cherishes the feeling of her in his arms far more than she even realizes.

"You'd better hope none of your classmates see you acting all in love or the jig will be up," Isshin comments with a happy smile on his face. Rukia pulls away from Ichigo and grins at his father.

"Right now, I don't care who sees us, or who knows we're in love. Even if it means our secret is blown." Rukia tells Ichigo.

"You two act like you haven't seen each other in months!" Isshin exclaims with a laugh. The happy couple ignore him to hug again. Ichigo runs one hand through her hair and wraps the other around her back. Isshin shakes his head and goes back into his house. He can practically feel Masaki smiling down at him in response to Ichigo's happiness with Rukia. Ichigo walks over to the car and grabs her bags out of it.

He takes her bag up to her room and sets it down before gathering her in his arms again to give her a welcome home kiss that she can't help but sigh in response to. He takes her hand and leads her over to his house.

_Everything is okay. Rukia's back and everything will be just fine. I won't let anything happen to her. I'll always protect her._

J J J J

Karin grins, as Yuzu has been cooking up a storm all afternoon. They had noticed how down their brother had gotten and they wanted dinner to reflect the family's happiness at Rukia's return. Her presence affects them all because of how strongly she affects Ichigo. Yuzu already thinks of her as a sister, and Karin doesn't have any complaints about Rukia either. She thinks Rukia is pretty cool, it's her brother and his ultra cheesy behavior around Rukia that gets on her nerves.

Karin and Yuzu watch as their brother enters the house with the petite dark haired girl that he loves so dearly. Karin rolls her eyes at the silly look on her brother's face. It's a look that just seems like it doesn't belong. Karen assumes her best scowl and feels relieved that it seems like a balance of some sort has been restored.

Ichigo guides Rukia up to his room with his arm around her shoulder and Yuzu watches them with a breathless sigh. Karin scowls a little bit harder when she hears the dreamy quality of Yuzu's voice.

"Aren't they romantic? I hope I fall in love like that one day!" Yuzu clutches her heart and leans against the refrigerator.

"Take your time, please. One sibling madly in love is about all I can handle." Karin warns her, keeping her scowl firmly in place.

"I think they're cute!" Yuzu insists. Karin walks away from her sister. She can't handle her chirping about love right now. Karin heads up the stairs and nearly gags when she hears kissing noises coming from Ichigo's room. It sounds like they're slobbering all over each other.

"Cute, my ass!" Karin mutters before she walks into the room she shares with her twin and shuts the door loudly.

She refuses to admit her brother's happiness contagious. Karin feels like she has to work at it to keep her scowl in place around those two. Karin shudders when she imagines every member of the Kurosaki in some sort of joyful mood all at the same time, she thinks that is a scary thought.

J J J J

"Rukia, I am so glad you're back," Ichigo mutters into her neck before he starts placing more kisses there. He kisses her neck thirstily but he stops when he hears a door shut loudly nearby.

"I love it when you hold me like this," Rukia says softly as she presses her face into his chest.

"I love holding you this way," he tells her, smiling at the way she's running her fingers gently on his back.

Ichigo lifts her in his arms and walks her over to the bed. He lays her in it and then climbs in next to her, before pushing a long strand of hair out of the middle of her face so that he can kiss her.

"I'm sorry for getting upset with you on the phone." Rukia says softly after he pulls away.

"I'm sorry I hurt your feelings for even a second," Ichigo whispers before leaning in for another sensual kiss. Rukia sighs happily as she responds with equal excitement. When he finally pulls away, they're both breathing hard.

"You were just being protective, I love that about you." Rukia whispers with a smile as she stares up into his brown eyes which are soft and loving right now.

"I'm glad you don't mind, because after the incident this past week, I'm going to stay protective," Ichigo warns her, and she awards him with a smile.

"As long as you keep hugging me and kissing me like you've been doing, I promise not to mind," Rukia says with a giggle. "I do think you should have let me come with you to investigate the other day though." Rukia tells him in a serious tone. Ichigo glances at her quickly.

"I'm glad you weren't there. The things they were saying were disturbing even to me, and I'm a guy." Ichigo says in a soft voice, the recollection of the incident makes him frown.

"I know, you told me. The girl that was a virgin that they raped. At least that can never happen to me now." Rukia whispers, smiling as she brings up the fact that they made love for the first time the other day.

"It's not just that, even though you're not a virgin anymore, I still wouldn't want you to ever experience something as frightening and degrading as a rape," Ichigo says in a low urgent whisper. "If I ever caught a guy trying to force himself on you, I can't guarantee I wouldn't rip him limb from limb." Ichigo says in an almost angry voice that is laced with resolve.

"I know how you feel. I'm not too happy with Itou, either." Rukia tells him, causing Ichigo to frown.

"Please don't bring up her name when we're in bed together, she makes me want to vomit." Ichigo tells Rukia, causing her to chuckle at him.

"Ah, but I think I should give you fair warning that I'm going to call her out on it." Rukia tells him with a smirk.

"So the time has come to reveal the truth, has it?" Ichigo asks her. Rukia looks at him and grins.

"Oh yeah, definitely. We'll do it tomorrow, at lunch." Rukia says with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Ichigo asks her softly. He knows she had wanted to get to know his friends and he worries that it's rushing a bit. Rukia grins at him and nods reassuringly.

"It's true I don't know them very well, but to be quite honest with you, I think they're all very interesting people. I really like your friend Tatsuki." Rukia says softly. Ichigo grins.

"I kind of figured that you would like her." Ichigo tells her as he runs his hands up and down her soft arms.

"Plus I think it would be an advantage since I'm already well aware that your friend Keigo is a pervert." Rukia says, causing Ichigo to laugh and nod. He likes listening to her talk.

"That he is." Ichigo agrees, glad she has no illusions there.

"Also, I'm sick of hiding it. It really doesn't matter to me what anybody thinks as long as I have you. I got a good handle on things this past week at school, and I have a good idea of what to expect. I'm sure that by the end of the day, there won't be a pair of eyes that ignores us when we leave school." Rukia warns him and Ichigo groans.

"Don't remind me. I don't know why I am such an interesting topic at school. It's not like I asked for it to be that way," he mutters at her with obvious irritation. Rukia laughs and then they jump when her cell phone rings. Rukia jumps out of bed and runs over to her purse, which she had dropped when Ichigo had been kissing her neck earlier. She pulls out the phone and answers.

"Hello?" Rukia says with uncertainty, and Ichigo watches her face as she lights up into a beautiful smile. "Renji! What's going on?" Rukia asks. "I didn't recognize the number!" Rukia says as she pulls the phone away to glance at the phone number again.

Ichigo watches as her face breaks out into shock.

"Really? Why?" Rukia looks so surprised it makes Ichigo curious.

"What?" Ichigo whispers at her. Rukia shakes her head no at him. She turns away from him too. Ichigo is irritated by this.

"Are you serious? Oh my god. I can't believe it! This is too crazy!" Rukia exclaims. Ichigo's ears perk up at her next sentence. "There's something that you should know then. Nobody at school knows that I'm the girl he's engaged to. We were going to tell them tomorrow at lunch, so don't go blabbing okay?" Rukia says. Ichigo doesn't understand why she says this. She hangs up a moment later and she looks at him.

"What?" Ichigo asks impatiently.

"You're not going to believe it." Rukia tells him.

"Just tell me already!" Ichigo says, having run out of patience altogether.

"Renji is going to be at our school starting tomorrow. He's been hired to keep an eye on a student in school whose father is a government official." Rukia tells Ichigo wide eyed. Ichigo isn't fooled for one second.

_Byakuya._

"Really," Ichigo says with as much surprise as he can muster. "That's good that you'll be able to see your friend." Ichigo finishes with a grin. He has no worries about Renji. Ichigo knows that guy has never gotten to feel her creamy skin beneath his hands and body. Ichigo is actually glad that there will be one more person keeping an eye out for Rukia. He loves her enough to be glad about that.

"It sure is a small world," Rukia says in wonder, and Ichigo smiles at her.

_Not as small as you think, doll._

"You know, maybe Renji's appearance will take some of the shock out of our lunchtime announcement." Ichigo tells her thoughtfully. Rukia smiles at him.

"Dream on." Rukia tells him, and Ichigo throws his pillow at her. Rukia squeals and smiles as she grabs the pillow up and pounces on him, beating him over the head with it.

Ichigo is covering his face and laughing and Rukia is straddling him and walloping him with the pillow when his father opens the door. Rukia stops in mid-swing and looks up at Isshin guiltily.

Isshin smiles hugely at the scene in front of him, as he is reminded of a time long ago when Masaki had beat him over the head with a pillow as she'd laughed.

"It's time for dinner, please join us after you've finished serving him his punishment," Isshin says, smiling as he closes the door. Rukia laughs and hits Ichigo again in the face with the pillow.

"You little-" He's silenced by another swat in the face with the pillow and Ichigo reaches for it before she can get him again, but she's too quick. She is able to beat him in the side of the head with the pillow three more times before he wrestles it away from her, and the moment he does, he gives her a look that makes her squeal due to the gleam in his eye. Rukia puts an end to his next plan of action by leaning down and kissing him. He drops the pillow and forgets all about retaliation as he wraps his arms around her and kisses her as deeply as he possibly can.

They pull apart when his family starts yelling from downstairs. It's Karin's comment that really makes them hurry.

"Yo! Ichi-ni! Get your clothes back on and get down here so we can eat!" Karin's comment makes them both blush as they hurry downstairs to their seats to join his family for dinner.

"Our clothes weren't off." Ichigo growls as he sits down.

"He's not lying, I was just up there, their clothes were on," Isshin assures her.

"Either way there was probably slobber involved," Karin mutters under her breath causing the pair to blush deeper since she hit a bulls eye.

"Shut your trap." Ichigo orders. Karin shuts her trap and they manage to eat the rest of their meal free of discomfort.

When dinner finishes, Rukia offers to help Yuzu with the dishes and Ichigo walks out of the room to head to the bathroom. Isshin and Karin wander out of the kitchen as inconspicuously as possible to get out of cleaning. Yuzu and Rukia let them sneak out and Yuzu smiles cheerfully at Rukia.

"You know, he moped the whole day yesterday." Yuzu confides and Rukia's eyes widen at that information. She suddenly feels a twinge of guilt because while she had thought about Ichigo, she hadn't moped.

"I wish he could have enjoyed his day, it was the weekend, after all." Rukia says with a sigh.

"He's happy now," Yuzu says pointedly, and Rukia grins as she gets the point.

"Thanks, Yuzu-chan." Rukia says softly. Yuzu grins. It really feels like she's gained an older sister.

"Anytime, Rukia-chan." Yuzu says back. They get started on the washing and Ichigo joins them to help, causing Yuzu to smile. She definitely likes this side of her brother. She's used to shouldering most of the chores alone.

This is why she decides she'll once again pack something special for them in his lunch tomorrow. When they finish cleaning and the happy couple wander upstairs, Yuzu gets to work on a treat for them. She makes brownies, and with white icing she adds I+R to two large brownies and she wraps them up for their lunch. She puts the rest on a plate and calls everybody in for brownies.

Rukia and Ichigo take a few minutes to make their way downstairs, and they both look a little bit breathless but they look deliriously happy when they spot the brownies.

"I thought I smelled these baking!" Ichigo says happily as he takes one. He loves brownies. He especially likes a brownie hot fudge sundae. Yuzu grins at them.

"Since you helped me clean up with dinner, I had enough time to make these!" Yuzu says cheerfully.

"If you make brownies every time we help you clean up, then you'll get help a lot more often." Ichigo says as he takes a bite of warm brownie.

"Wow, you did a really good job!" Rukia tells Yuzu after she takes a bite. Karin and Isshin wander in for seconds.

"You two finally made it down here, eh?" Karin asks in an amused voice and the couple blushes again.

"You're annoying." Ichigo tells her and Karin grins as she grabs a brownie.

"You're red." Karin informs him before she trots out of the room. Ichigo glares at her back.

"She keeps getting worse." Ichigo says before taking another bite of his brownie. "This really is good." Ichigo tells Yuzu. She giggles.

"Don't mind Karin-chan." Yuzu says with a wave of her hand.

"It's hard to ignore her," Ichigo mutters. Rukia laughs. She loves this family. She feels so lucky that she can call them her own family. She adores every single one of them, they make her feel warm and cozy on the inside. It's a pleasantly comforting sensation and she knows without a doubt that she must be the luckiest girl in the world.

"You look so happy," Yuzu tells Rukia, who blushes in response.

"I am happy. Really happy." Rukia says with a genuinely happy smile. Ichigo glances at Rukia and his face immediately softens. He snags another brownie before he grabs Rukia's hand with his free hand.

"Come on." Ichigo tells her and he tugs her back upstairs, away from his sister. When they get to his room he offers her a bite of his brownie, which she happily accepts and when she's done taking her bite, he stuffs the rest into his mouth in one go causing Rukia to laugh at him, since it's obvious he ate too much at once.

It takes him a minute but he finally finishes the brownie before he licks his fingers and studies her quietly, except for the smacking of his lips. When he's done, he clears his throat.

"It means a lot to me that you're happy here." Ichigo tells her as he pulls his fingers away from his mouth.

"I always am, when I'm with you." Rukia tells him with a grin. She steps towards him and slips her hands under his shirt and lays her palms against his muscular chest. They stare into each others eyes lovingly for a minute and Ichigo leans down and kisses her quickly.

"I'll always be with you." Ichigo assures her quietly, his eyes never leaving hers. Rukia sighs in bliss.

"You always know what to say to make me even happier than I was before." Rukia says with a grin.

"As long as you're happy." Ichigo says firmly. Rukia sighs a big satisfied sigh and moves her hands to his sides.

"Insanely and amazingly so." She confirms and Ichigo feels relieved.

"That's all that matters." Ichigo tells her. Rukia smiles at him.

"Being with you just keeps getting better." She says with a smile. Ichigo glances at the clock. She's supposed to be at home at ten. They only have a little less than an hour left.

"I'll be right back." Ichigo runs to wash his hands and brush his teeth. He wants to spend the last hour holding her in his arms and kissing her. He wants to get the brownie off of his hands and teeth before he does though.

He realizes it's not just the fact that they're intimate with one another, he's just never more content than when she's in his arms. He loves her so much, and he enjoys being in love with her. For him it's a very pleasant surprise, the way he feels like everything is perfect when he's holding her close.

He studies his face in the mirror for a minute, trying to figure out what exactly makes her so attracted to him. He grins when he realizes it doesn't matter why, it only matters that she does feel so strongly for him.

J J J J

Rukia grins as she steps into her bedroom. It looks the same way it did before the fiasco, and if she tries really hard, she can pretend there weren't four disgusting men that had stood in the room with the intention of raping her and who knows what else.

She shivers when she remembers the way the police officer had shouted at one of the men after they'd recovered an internet picture of her from her performance.

That means that they specifically stalked her and were looking for her. She really wishes she could have heard with her own ears what had happened. She wonders if Ichigo left anything out, not purposely of course, but she wonders how on earth people are finding her in Karakura Town based on the gymnastics performance.

She had submitted the Kuchiki mansion address, which was located near the city. Technically, people shouldn't know how to find her in Karakura Town. She had asked the professor the first time she had called him how he'd gotten her address, and he had said he happened to have a discussion with the principal of her school who mentioned her name, which was when Aizen-sensei had told him he was a huge fan and wished to write her a congratulatory letter.

_But how did the men who broke in get my address?_

Rukia twists the bracelet around her wrist and she admires it. She suddenly remembers that she hasn't checked her email since she got home. She pulls out her laptop and turns it on. A couple minutes later she's online looking through her messages. She's surprised when she sees an email that is obviously from Aizen-sensei due to the address name. She clicks on the email. He simply emails her to confirm he remembered her address correctly.

Rukia quickly emails him back that he did indeed remember correctly, and she thanks him again for his company over the weekend. She also writes for him to keep in touch.

Rukia puts her computer away and goes into her purse and unzips the side pocket. She pulls out the picture of her and Aizen together and then she sticks it in her desk drawer. It reminds her of when she grabbed him though, and that thought embarrasses her, and she blushes.

She berates herself for being so paranoid of people all the time. He'd behaved like a gentleman in her company, yet she had grabbed his wrist in a death lock. She had squeezed a couple of his tendons instinctively to hold her grip and to keep him from getting away from her grasp. The reputation of the establishment he teaches in is spotless and so are the reputations of the professors that teach there. She shouldn't have reacted that way towards him, and she feels badly about it.

It just makes her feel that much more grateful that she was never paranoid like this with Ichigo. She'd felt so immediately comfortable with him, and she'd trusted him instantly, instinctively, and she knows she should try to trust more people in her life than just Ichigo.

Even her uptight brother hadn't said anything once he realized her companion for tea taught at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Aizen-sensei is practically a celebrity among intelligent people of the world, it's preposterous for her to even consider that he had any ill intentions towards her in any way whatsoever when she is probably still a kid in his eyes.

She briefly imagines what kind of women Aizen-sensei would date. She ends up imagining a lawyer type or maybe a teacher type, someone who could fulfill his obvious need for stimulating conversation. Rukia is sure he found her amusing, but sexually attractive? That was doubtful, so much so that she continues to feel guilty about her reaction towards him. She decides to think of nicer thoughts.

Rukia's mind turns to the man she finds sexually attractive and she ends up falling asleep having strange erotic dreams of Ichigo but for some reason he's wearing glasses.

Ichigo has erotic dreams too, involving Rukia and a hot tub. He also sleeps with his window cracked a bit so that any foreign sounds outside will be easily heard. He is thankful for the new security system next door, it's the only reason he gets even a wink of sleep.


	24. Chapter 23: The Most Popular Girl

Chapter 23

_The Most Popular Girl_

Ichigo manages to make it outside before Rukia leaves her house. Yuzu had forcefully thrust a lunch in his gut before he ran out the door. He waits for Rukia out front, and when she walks out, the first thing he notices is that she's wearing her new bracelet. He smiles at that realization. He glances around but doesn't see any other people around in their school uniform and so he gives her a quick kiss hello.

"Good morning!" Rukia says cheerfully. Ichigo grins.

"It is now." He tells her, giving her a second quick kiss. Rukia grins.

"I still can't believe Renji is here now too!" Rukia says to him with a look of disbelief. Ichigo grins at her. He's ninety percent sure Byakuya is the reason Renji is here, but he decides not to share his suspicions with her.

"Lunch today, too." Ichigo reminds her, as they have planned to reveal their betrothed status to all of his friends.

"I know. I haven't forgotten. I think we'll still be able to surprise them all with that news." Rukia tells him with a sideways grin.

"Probably." Ichigo agrees.

"Maybe Keigo and Itou will take some of the spotlight off of us too," Rukia tells him, and Ichigo scowls at the mention of Itou.

"It's possible." Ichigo allows as they walk towards their school. Rukia smiles happily.

"I'm just so glad I'm back home." She tells him, and he grins down at her. He's glad too, and his grin tells her so.

"Now I can make sure nothing happens to you." Ichigo says with a sigh of relief. Rukia giggles at him.

"You make it sound as though I attract danger," Rukia says with a smile. Ichigo snorts.

"That's putting it mildly," Ichigo mutters as he thinks of her lack of caution in meeting the professor.

"That hurts my feelings, you know." Rukia tells him, sticking her tongue out at him. Her eyes widen in surprise when she sees a flash of desire shoot across his face. She winks at him.

"Yeah, you're really wounded." Ichigo says with a laugh. Rukia smacks his arm.

"I am!" She says it very unconvincingly. Ichigo grins at her.

"You're really cute too." Ichigo tells her with a little bit of a blush. He thinks she's adorable when she starts getting all riled up.

"How am I supposed to argue with that?" Rukia grumbles blushing back. Ichigo laughs at her forlorn expression.

"You're not supposed to argue with that." He informs her.

"You make it nearly impossible for me to be mad at you," Rukia says grinning at him.

They walk to school, smiling and feeling really relaxed. When they walk onto the school's property, Rukia notices they're getting a lot of stares. She wonders when people will get used to seeing them together.

When they walk into their classroom, the first thing Rukia sees is a shit grin on Keigo's face.

"Your friend seems to be very excited over there." Rukia informs Ichigo. He rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

"Ignore him, he's an idiot." Ichigo tells her as he follows his own advice and ignores Keigo to walk over to his seat. Rukia follows and sits next to him. Tatsuki walks over to her and immediately notices her new bracelet.

"Wow, that's really cute, where did you get it?" Tatsuki asks her. Rukia grins at her.

"It was a gift." Rukia says with a small smile. Ichigo looks away. He can feel his cheeks burning at the direction of this conversation.

"Kuchiki-san, I heard that the guys who broke into your house are being held on a detention order pending an investigation. You want them to be punished, don't you?" Kunieda says as she walks up, causing Rukia to look at her in surprise.

"Of course I want them locked up! I'm sure my brother's influence will not allow for any leniency for those jerks!" Rukia says with an angry look in her eyes. She still remembers how she'd felt sickened when she'd walked back into her room the next morning and had seen how those men had touched everything.

"I figured that's what you would say, I'm relieved." Kunieda says with a grin before walking to her seat. Tatsuki wanders to her seat too, since the teacher is in the doorway. Rukia hopes in anticipation that Renji is in her classroom, but he must be in a different class since the teacher doesn't introduce him. Rukia figures she'll catch him when it's time for lunch.

Ichigo is even more shocked that Renji isn't in their classroom. He was sure that as part of her protection that Byakuya would have insisted that Renji stay close to Rukia. Ichigo is a bit relieved that he doesn't have to be in the same class with Renji, since the guy tends to rub him the wrong way sometimes. Particularly when he looks at Ichigo like he isn't good enough for Rukia.

Ichigo doesn't mind an extra set of eyes and ears on her side though, and for that reason, he decides he'll make an effort to get along with the guy, for Rukia's sake.

Ichigo finds that during the morning, his gaze rests more than once on Rukia's sexy legs. He remembers what it was like to touch them and how it felt when her legs were tangled up in his own. He forces himself to look away every time he thinks he's stared for too long, but it's difficult not to look, for him. After all, her uniform skirt is enticingly short, and he can see a lot of leg.

He knows she's short but he marvels over how perfectly proportionate she is, and he knows he's totally hooked and addicted to her. He thinks it's a good thing that they're engaged to marry. He tries to imagine what it would be like if she had transferred to his school without him ever having met her as a child.

He figures that even if that had been the case, he surely would have noticed her and been hooked the same way he is now. He's glad they worked their futures out as children, because he doubts he could have ever just met her and asked her to be with him as casually as what they did when they were kids.

Rukia glances at Ichigo halfway through the morning and notices his gaze is resting on her calves. He has a hungry look in his eye too, and she has to force her lips into a straight line to stop herself from breaking into a smile. She checks him out often too, although not as much in class.

She lets her mind drift back to the night they made love. She remembers how with every touch he had brought her such amazing and intense feelings. She remembers how it felt when his tongue moved across her body and she smiles at that thought. It hadn't been uncomfortable or weird.

She remembers her dream last night, of making love to Ichigo while he was wearing glasses. He had looked unbelievably sexy in them too. She wonders why she dreamed of him wearing them, and she ignores the nagging feeling that the professor had something to do with her dreams.

The morning flies by quickly for both of them since they have so much on their minds. Ichigo doesn't even analyze the dream he had with Rukia in the hot tub, it wasn't surprising that he had dreamed it in his sleep since he had daydreamed it while awake.

When the lunch bell rings, Ichigo and Rukia exchange conspiratorial glances with one another and both of them can feel their heart rate quicken.

"You ready?" Ichigo whispers to her as they walk out the door, side by side. Rukia has no idea why she suddenly feels so nervous.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She replies, meeting his gaze. When he meets her eyes, he can tell she's feeling unsettled about it now that it's come time to announce it.

"If you aren't ready, we don't have to tell them," Ichigo says softly, offering her an out, but she shakes her head and grins at him. He's impressed when he sees her chin come up, almost defiantly. He smiles since she constantly reminds him why he loves her so much with the little things that she does..

"I just get a bit jumpy when I'm the center of attention. I am proud to be engaged to you," Rukia tells him very softly so that the surprise isn't ruined in advance by anybody who's trying to overhear them. She glances around and is relieved that there appear to be no prying ears.

They head for the usual spot and it appears most of the people they eat with are already there. Rukia glances around and she doesn't see Renji's red hair anywhere in view. She wonders where he is at.

Rukia gives Ichigo a look of excitement and she takes a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves as they near the group. She finds that her heart only races more quickly and Ichigo at her side is the only reason she's able to hold onto her sanity as they stop by the group and sit down. A full blown conversation is already in progress.

"I can't believe you went over to that nasty girl's house over the weekend." Tatsuki tells Keigo, shaking her head at his recklessness. Rukia grins at that comment. She agrees with Tatsuki wholeheartedly and when Tatsuki glances at Ichigo and Rukia, she offers them a hello nod. Rukia nods back and rolls her eyes when Keigo replies.

"I wouldn't take back one minute that I spent with her." Keigo informs Tatsuki with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Mizuiro can't help but to laugh at Keigo's blasé attitude.

"Sick bastard." Tatsuki grumbles as she opens her lunch bag. Inoue doesn't have much to say about Keigo's promiscuity and so she just watches as Kuchiki-san and Kurosaki-kun take their now usual positions next to each other and they start to open their lunch.

When Ichigo unwraps the brownies, all conversation seems to cease as everyone gapes at what Ichigo just pulled out of his lunch.

_Shit. All hell is about to break loose._

Rukia gapes in total and complete shock. Yuzu, bless her heart had gone to a lot of trouble to pack two very generously sized brownies into Ichigo's lunch. On both brownies is a very clear I+R iced onto the top. Rukia feels her face turn _really_ hot, she wonders if she's purple as she stares at the brownies in his lunch. Her stomach feels like it's tying itself in knots and she wonders if anybody notices this predicament that she's in.

Ichigo's reaction is similar. He had not intended to tell his friends like _this_. He sees Rukia is bright red, and he knows he's the same color. He thinks this is probably one of the most embarrassing ways they could have announced their togetherness.

"Wow," Mizuiro says as he looks at the brownies and then the couple. Everyone else just stares too since not one person can believe what their seeing. Several people blink several times but still stare at the brownies.

"I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes!" Tatsuki breathes in a voice barely above a whisper. A few people nod their agreement at that statement. Nobody can believe Kurosaki just unwrapped brownies with such a suggestive decorating on it.

"My sister…" Ichigo trails off, not sure how to explain the situation at this point, not to mention he's beyond embarrassed that this is how it's all going to come out, over his sister's incredibly delicious brownies. He always loved the damned things but right now he wishes they were not right there in front of the entire group. He glances at Rukia.

Rukia is speechless. She can hear her heart pounding even in her ears and she cannot even put together a coherent sentence, not even if she tried.

Tatsuki grins. She can't do anything else. It seems a lot of the others have a similar reaction.

"It seems your family really likes Kuchiki-san," Tatsuki says with another gaping stare at the brownies. "I had no idea."

Inoue's mouth is gaped wide open, it has been since she caught sight of the brownies and she's in no condition to close her mouth as all she can do is glance back and forth between the blushing pair and the suggestive brownies. She feels her chest tighten up at the way the pair instinctively seem to lean towards one another. Inoue realizes any chance she could have ever had with him has long since passed, and that realization, while healthy, hurts her heart in a very sharp pained kind of way. She wonders if even his fiancé will stand a chance with him now that he's so wrapped up in Kuchiki-san.

"Your fiancé probably won't like that very much." Noriko's voice snaps Rukia out of her speechless trance. Inoue stares up and can't believe that this girl nearly spoke her own thoughts out loud.

"Like you really care what his fiancé thinks!" Rukia snaps suddenly. She's up on her feet in an instant and she spins around to confront the slut who has gotten on her last nerve. Just the image of Noriko doing what Ichigo had said she had done is enough to make Rukia look at her with a dangerous glint in her eyes. Everyone is shocked by Rukia's instant reaction and outburst and they watch mesmerized as the two begin to argue.

"More than you do!" Noriko snaps back unwisely. Rukia takes a confident step towards the girl and Noriko takes a small step back at the wrath in Rukia's eyes.

"That's impossible. Don't think I don't know about your attempt on him this past weekend! Too bad you got shot down! You're so trashy!" Rukia says in a loud voice. They're causing quite a commotion. A large group of students are slowly edging closer to get a good view of all the action. Everyone in the group is staring wide eyed at the verbal war between the two girls.

"I didn't do anything he didn't want me to do." Noriko says snidely. Several people's jaws drop to the ground at her statement. Ichigo guffaws at this and Rukia jumps at Noriko without hesitation.

"Liar!" That's all Rukia yells as she closes the distance between them. A few people gasp at what appears to be a physical altercation starting in the schoolyard.

Noriko's eyes widen as Rukia lands right in front of her and then squats down so that she doesn't give anybody a good view up her skirt. Rukia grabs the tops of Noriko's shoes and then lifts up with all of her might, sending Noriko crashing to the ground just as Rukia gains a standing position. Rukia can hear people exclaiming in surprise at what she just did to Itou.

Noriko lands really hard on her butt and she gasps as she stares up at the tiny, furious, and apparently strong girl barreling at her. Rukia closes in the distance yet again and backhands Noriko with all of her strength. The sound of the slap seems to echo around the schoolyard, and Noriko's face jerks to the side at the force of the impact from Rukia's hand. A slap mark is clearly etched onto Noriko's cheek within seconds. There is complete silence when this happens, but only for a moment.

People start cheering and yelling and that's when Ichigo hurries over and lifts Rukia off of Noriko. He can hardly believe the excruciatingly loud crack that just came from the contact, he had no idea she had the ability to deliver a wicked open handed hit like that one.

"You have to stop before you get into trouble!" Ichigo whispers urgently into her ear. He can hardly believe how quickly she floored Itou, it had happened so damned fast. Part of him is so proud and the other part of him is worried she'll get in trouble.

"I dare you to come over here!" Rukia growls at her, and Ichigo just keeps holding Rukia back. Noriko grabs her stinging cheek with her hand and she can feel tears welling up in her eyes but she refuses to let them fall in front of the two people who have humiliated her so much in such a short span of time.

Rukia lets out a sigh of relief when Noriko runs away from the building. Keigo runs after her. Rukia's breath is hard from her anger.

"Holy shit!" Tatsuki's eyes are as wide as saucers. She could hardly believe what just happened. People all start dispersing slowly as the action seems to be at an end.

"That was…unexpected." Mizuiro says into the silence. They all watch as Kuchiki-san appears to calm down.

"Is there something going on between the two of you?" Mahana, who has never spoken to Rukia before, asks. She usually sits next to Kunieda and Michiru. Everyone waits for the answer.

Rukia realizes that too much has already happened and she glances up at Ichigo who appears to still be in a bit of a stupor from her encounter with Itou. Rukia knows she slapped the girl really hard because the back of her hand stings, not that she'll let on that it does while people are staring though.

"Actually there is something that you should all know." Rukia tells them. You could hear a pin drop.

Everyone's eyes widen when Ichigo puts a comforting arm around Rukia, and several students who had started to walk away, regain interest in what's going on and so they turn around and slowly make their way closer to the group that is so focused on Kurosaki and Kuchiki.

"Well?" Tatsuki asks when Rukia doesn't say anything else.

"I'm the one he's engaged to." Rukia tells them softly. Ichigo watches as everyone exhibits a similar expression of shock at this tantalizing bit of information.

"No way!" Inoue's reaction was spontaneous, and everyone glances at her. She blushes. "I'm sorry, you surprised me." She adds skittishly when everyone looks at her curiously. She can hardly believe that the transfer student and the girl he's engaged to are actually the same person. Inoue had been jealous of Kurosaki's fiancé and of the new transfer student. It was ironic, really.

"That explains a few things," Mizuiro says with a laugh.

"Yes it does," Tatsuki agrees. Ichigo and Rukia sit back down to finally eat their lunches. Rukia decides to eat her brownie first since she can't stop staring at Yuzu's treats when she's sitting there.

"I would have never guessed!" Tatsuki says in complete surprise. She hadn't even entertained the thought that the transfer student who'd lived in America might be the same girl that Ichigo was engaged to. She feels a wave of relief too, since Ichigo wasn't blowing off her best friend for just a new girl. She's glad she never confronted him about his closeness with Rukia now.

"Was it love at first sight?" Inoue asks softly, she just has to know. Ichigo and Rukia blush at that question.

"You could say that," Ichigo answers in a hurry. He does not want to go over the details of how they met. He doesn't want any of his friends knowing that story, it's a bit too embarrassing to explain.

Rukia is very relieved. She doesn't even want to know what the judgmental thoughts of some of the students in this school would be if they knew the exact circumstances surrounding their engagement.

"I've been curious about the girl Ichigo has been engaged to for the longest time," Tatsuki says quietly.

"You can quit being curious, this is the girl." Ichigo says before he grabs his brownie. It seems to be taunting him, and he can't wait for it to disappear into his stomach. He takes a big bite.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Tatsuki asks, looking back and forth between them.

"Rukia didn't want to spend her first week in a new school being identified as my fiancé." Ichigo replies. "Can you blame her?" He asks before he polishes off the brownie. Everyone exchanges a smile.

"No." Tatsuki says with a grin. "I can understand that."

"We agreed it would be the most painless way to begin her first week in school. I thought it would be better to let her deal with getting used to the new school last week and now this week she has to get used to being known as the girl I'm engaged to." Ichigo says with a bit of a scowl. It's unnerving to him that so many people take such deep interest in his personal life.

"Actually, her little confrontation with Noriko may earn her a name independent of you," Tatsuki says with a grin. "She'll be known as the girl who laid out Noriko and then backhanded her, too." Tatsuki says glancing back at Rukia with an impressed look on her face.

"You two are definitely perfect for each other. Especially now that I've seen Kuchiki-san's temper!" Mizuiro says with a nod. Rukia blushes in embarrassment at that comment.

Everyone glances up at an unfamiliar red haired guy who trots up right behind Rukia and Ichigo. When he gets to them, he loudly greets them with a big smile on his face.

"Yo, Rukia! Hey, Ichigo." Renji says waiting for them to acknowledge him. He glances around at the rest of the group quickly too, before he looks back at Ichigo and Rukia. Everyone is staring at him as though he's some sort of alien, since they've never seen him before.

"Renji! I thought I would see you earlier than now!" Rukia exclaims. Ichigo's friends glance at him due to the familiarity between his fiancé and this unknown guy. Ichigo gives the guy a nod.

"Don't start on me. I just got yelled at by the principal for accidentally sleeping in. I'm not on Japanese time yet." Renji tells her with a sigh. Rukia laughs. Ichigo glances at his friends who all look worried at the closeness between Rukia and Renji.

"This is Abarai Renji," Rukia tells the group, suddenly realizing how it all looked. "We grew up together." She tells them. Tatsuki grins.

"So it's like me and Ichigo." She says with a smile. Rukia grins back at her with a nod.

"Exactly." Rukia tells them with a smile. Tatsuki notices that Renji would like to catch up with his friend and so she scoots over to make room for him.

Renji suddenly notices the girl who moved to kindly make room for him. He immediately thinks she's totally cute, and he thinks it's good luck that he's seated between her and Rukia.

"Thanks," Renji tells her. Tatsuki feels her heart pound slightly faster at the way he focuses so completely on her just to thank her, and she holds her breath as she nods at him. She doesn't release the air in her lungs until he looks away.

Rukia grins at Renji and Ichigo goes around the group to introduce him to everybody except for one person.

"That's Sado, that's Mizuiro, that's Michiru, that's Mahana, that's Kunieda, that's Chizuru, that's Inoue, that's Tatsuki, and Keigo who is usually here, isn't here right now.

"Don't forget about me, Kurosaki." Ishida says in an annoyed voice at the way he'd been skipped over. Ichigo frowns.

"Sorry, I couldn't remember your name." He admits, and a few of the people around start laughing.

"You're so bad at that stuff, you know." Tatsuki giggles.

"He eats with us enough that you should have learned his name by now," Mizuiro says with a shake of his head.

"That's Ishida-kun." Inoue says softly to both Renji and Ichigo.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Renji tells them. Tatsuki looks up at him with interest.

"Have you lived in America, too?" She asks, totally curious.

"Yes. I lived in America for many years." Renji states as he quickly pulls out his lunch to scarf it down. Time is running out.

"Your command over the language is like someone who has lived here," Tatsuki says with a genuine smile.

"It's only because I had people to talk to in Japanese when I was in America." Renji explains as he takes a large bite of his lunch.

"We used to upset people when we'd talk in Japanese to one another all the time," Rukia says with a laugh. Renji swallows his bite and then glances at her.

"Speaking of upsetting people, I heard your name on more than a few people's lips on my way out here. Did something happen?" Renji asks her. Rukia blushes.

"Well, I had a confrontation with a girl who tried throwing herself at Ichigo, and then we announced our engagement." Rukia explains quietly.

"You had a confrontation," Renji repeats, "what happened?" He asks before taking another large bite of his lunch.

"She laid that girl out and backhanded her," Tatsuki says in a low voice and a big grin. Her comment makes Renji choke a little. "None of us like her." Tatsuki adds.

"You backhanded her?" Renji asks in surprise once he manages to swallow his food.

"It was classic," Ichigo says with a grin. Renji shoots Rukia a look. She glares at him, and he takes another bite rather than to say anything about rule number one of their Gracie Jiu-jitsu master, that if you know someone's name, you will not use your martial arts against them unless they initiate violence.

Rukia frowns at the disbelieving look on Renji's face. She had never really agreed with her master's rules, and had simply nodded when he had given the students the rules. She especially disagrees with the rule that you won't use your martial arts training to protect material objects, she was told not to fight if she's approached with a gun and someone is trying to take her coat. Rukia would still fight, she couldn't do anything else.

She's seen way too many stories on the news of people who didn't fight when they were being threatened only to be shot after giving up what the offender was demanding She'll use her martial arts know how anytime the situation calls for it, not that she had even used any Gracie Jiu-jitsu techniques on Noriko.

Any girl could backhand someone the way she had done, and any girl with the right knowledge could send another person to their ass if they grab at the tops of the other person's shoes and lift straight up.

Rukia remembers how a friend of hers had shown her the technique and Rukia had always thought it was a surprising way to knock your opponent to the ground, not to mention it hurts your ass like hell.

She had been even more surprised when she'd been shown a movie where the technique was done. It was some battle of the bands movie where the main character was a famous American rapper. At one point in the movie a guy standing on the hood of his car was talking shit and the move was done on him, forcing him to land on his ass on the hood of the car where he'd promptly been attacked and at a disadvantage. Rukia had liked it instantly when she'd seen it. If done the right way, it could really hurt someone if they hit their tailbone the wrong way going down.

"There's Itou and Keigo now," Chizuru says as she nods in their direction. Everyone glances at the pair and the evidence of Rukia's earlier attack is still quite evident. Keigo leaves her away from the group and trots over to them. Everyone waits for what he has to say.

"I'm taking Noriko home, she doesn't want to go back to class." He tells them. A few people shoot Rukia a big grin at that news.

"Yeah, I imagine that when she's so used to laughing at other girls who cry, she's mortified that everyone is now laughing at her," Rukia mutters, causing Renji to glance at her in surprise.

"You make her sound evil. She doesn't look like she is that bad." Renji says in a chastising voice.

"No, she's the spawn of evil." Tatsuki assures him with a smile. Renji looks at her closely again and he watches in curiosity as she appears to blush a little bit. Renji thinks she's even cuter when she blushes.

"Alright, I'll take your word for it," Renji tells her with a grin.

The warning bell rings and Renji stuffs the remainder of his lunch in his mouth. Rukia and Ichigo stand up and Ichigo grabs her hand. They can finally walk around hand in hand now that their true status is known in school.

Tatsuki is so focused on Renji, that she doesn't notice Chizuru is staring at Inoue in a hungry manner. Chizuru takes advantage of Tatsuki's lack of attention to Inoue and she hugs the girl. She runs her hands all up and down Inoue's back as she tells her she'll walk her back to class. Tatsuki finally notices how Chizuru's hands are wandering all over Inoue's back and then up and down her sides. Tatsuki punches her in the nose.

"Back off!" Tatsuki yells, and Inoue covers her ears at the volume. Renji's eyes widen at the casual use of violence, but he doesn't say anything. He stands to walk to his classroom, and when he does, he causes a chain reaction. Tatsuki immediately jumps up to head back into the school with him, and then Inoue stands to walk in with Tatsuki, and then Chizuru pulls herself off the ground to walk in with Inoue.

Rukia and Ichigo are well ahead of the others at this point, and Ichigo gives her a sideways smile.

"Things didn't go the way we had expected them to, did they?" Ichigo asks with a laugh. Rukia smiles as the image of Yuzu's brownies come to mind.

"No, they didn't, but I'm still happy that everyone knows, now." Rukia tells him quietly.

"Me too," Ichigo admits. Now he won't have to hide how he feels anymore. He suddenly remembers he wanted to ask her something. "Hey Rukia, what was that move you pulled on Itou?" He asks, and Rukia glances up at him and smiles.

"I call that the Eight Mile Movie Technique," Rukia tells him with a grin. Ichigo still looks confused though.

"It was this movie that I saw where that move was used, although a friend of mine showed me the move and then showed me the movie after teaching me the move." Rukia tells him. "It works so well because nobody anticipates it. It's a great technique if someone is standing on a table or car or something like that too. It hurts like hell when you land." She explains.

"So it wasn't a move from your style?" Ichigo says in surprise.

"No, but its end result is wondrous for my style." Rukia says with a grin.

"I never thought I would see you backhand someone like that. It looked really painful." Ichigo says as he squeezes her hand.

"I didn't really even think about it, when she said you had wanted her all over you, I saw red. I just reacted." Rukia admits. "Although I did consciously decide not to use my real style. She isn't trained in any techniques as far as I could see." Rukia says, as she hopes she doesn't get into big trouble for the altercation.

They head into their classroom, and they realize once class starts that Renji really isn't in their class.

Unbeknownst to Rukia and Ichigo, the altercation did reach several of the faculty member's ears. Unfortunately for Itou Noriko, not one of the faculty members could stand her. None of them liked her open promiscuity, it's no secret that she's had sex with numerous boys, and she had a tendency to hem her skirts to be a bit too short.

Not one person felt the new girl needed to be reported for smacking the notorious Itou Noriko. It had been bound to happen sooner or later, that her nasty attitude would anger the wrong person. Plenty of people thought she had deserved it and many were surprised it took this long for someone to go off on her.

Kuchiki Rukia became a favorite among many teachers this day as a result of the lunchtime confrontation. She was also becoming the best liked girl among all of the girls in the school. It seemed like in the course of seven full days, she'd gained as much notoriety as Ichigo, and like Tatsuki had predicted, it was separate of her identity as Kurosaki's fiancé.

Plenty of people would remark as the day wore on how Kurosaki and Kuchiki were made for each other, and they're the perfect couple seeing as how they're two peas in a pod.

When class finally ends, and Ichigo and Rukia walk out of the classroom hand in hand, the buzzing among the students flies out of control.

There are a lot of people who claim they suspected that Kuchiki was Kurosaki's fiancé all along, ironically enough, most of these people are the same ones who had breathed venomous words about Kuchiki being a slut who was sure to be sent crying and running away just a mere week ago.

Ichigo feels heated since every time he looks somewhere, there's somebody staring back at him or at Rukia. He actually feels a breath of relief when Renji appears on Rukia's other side.

"You sure did become popular quickly," Renji says with a look of partial disbelief. Rukia grins at him and jerks a finger towards Ichigo.

"It's because he's so popular." Rukia tells him.

"No, it's because you went off on that Itou girl. There wasn't one person in my class who had something nice to say about her. The general consensus is that she's hated." Renji tells her as they stop to grab their outside shoes.

"She's really something else." Rukia says tightly as she sets her indoor shoes in the cubby and walks over to the doorway and drops her outdoor shoes on the ground to slip into them.

"Didn't I tell you so?" Tatsuki's voice surprises them, and Rukia glances to see Tatsuki, Inoue, and Chizuru have joined them. Renji smiles at her.

"Yeah, you did." Renji agrees.

"Your popularity has skyrocketed through the roof," Tatsuki informs Rukia with an amused grin.

"Yes, it's just as you said it would be." Rukia agrees.

Everyone walks together, since Rukia wants to see where Renji is living. Rukia grabs Ichigo's hand and he smiles at her. They follow the rest of the group, bringing up the rear in order to see where Renji lives.

It turns out he got an apartment in the same building as Inoue Orihime. This excites Tatsuki, although she doesn't say so, since she sleeps over her best friend's house on a regular basis. She has found herself drawn to the red haired boy, something about him seems almost dangerous. Like if you were to push him into a fight, you'd be the one in trouble.

Ichigo and Rukia leave after Renji shows her which door is his. Ichigo lets go of her hand and throws his arm around her shoulder, hauling her up against his side.

"It's been quite a day." Ichigo says with a weary sigh.

"The day isn't over, only the school day is." Rukia tells him with a laugh. He smiles at her and squeezes her closer into his side.

He finds that he really enjoys walking this way, with her so close to him. They make it home in a decent amount of time, and Yuzu is waiting by the door with a smile.

Rukia would rather rip out her own hair than to tell Yuzu how much embarrassment her thoughtful treat had caused.

"Thanks for the brownies, they were delicious!" Rukia tells Yuzu immediately, and she jumps up and down and smiles.

"I'm so happy you liked them! You're staying for dinner right? Of course you are!" Yuzu answers her own question as she heads for the kitchen. Ichigo and Rukia grin after her. Yuzu looks back and smiles at them. "Karin is at the park!" She informs them before she busies herself in the kitchen.

Ichigo is glad she didn't tell Yuzu about how they'd really felt when they'd seen the brownies. As sweet as Yuzu is, she's also very sensitive. Ichigo grins as he stares at Rukia, thinking about how he loves her so much.

They head upstairs, and do their usual routine of homework before dinner. When they join his family for dinner, everyone is in a good mood, except that Karin keeps throwing curious glances at Rukia. Ichigo gets fed up with it pretty quickly.

"What?" Ichigo finally asks her.

"I heard there was a fight today." Karin tells them with a look.

"Where did you hear that?" Ichigo asks in a weird voice.

"At the park." Karin answers him. "Is it true, you knocked a girl on the ground and hit her?" Karin finally asks. Rukia turns bright red.

"It's true." Rukia admits with a blush. Isshin too seems to be quite interested in the story.

"Why?" Karin asks next.

"She lied about Ichigo." Rukia says very simply. Yuzu looks confused and Karin shoots a look at her brother.

"What do you mean?" Isshin asks before Karin can get the words out.

"She said that Ichigo desired her." Rukia whispers softly.

"That's not right at all. Rukia-chan is the only girl he notices." Yuzu says in complete confusion. "I'm sure it's as obvious at school as it is here at home." Yuzu says before she eats some more. Her comments make Ichigo and Rukia blush harder.

"People are saying they never saw anything like what you did to her," Karin says next.

"They need to get out more." Rukia replies before she continues eating. Isshin looks at the pair thoughtfully, but he doesn't say anything.

When dinner ends, Rukia and Ichigo both help Yuzu clean up, and then they dash upstairs to finish their homework. They finish fairly quickly and get into another hot and heavy make out session. Ichigo had pulled her into his lap and he had his hands all over her body as they kissed. They didn't dare remove their clothes though, since they kept hearing his sisters pass by the bedroom.

Ichigo really wants to make love to her again, but he doesn't want to get caught doing it. He takes things plenty far without taking off her clothes, thanks to the convenient accessibility to her body because of her skirt. He had also yanked her blouse out of her skirt and had let his hands wander upwards.

After awhile, Rukia had turned to face him and wrapped her legs around his waist as she sat in his lap. She had run her hands all over his body too. She loves the feel of his muscles underneath her fingertips.

When the time came that Rukia had to head home, Ichigo walks her to her door again. They share a passionate kiss outside her door before she goes in and he heads back to his own house.

Ichigo dreams of Rukia smacking Itou, and he smiles as he sleeps. Rukia's dreams involve her being an international celebrity being interviewed and questioned by reporters. Everyone wants to know her story.


	25. Chapter 24: Envy

Chapter 24

_Envy_

The next day, when the happy couple got to school, they were once again the center of attention and the subject on everyone's lips. There was definitely a strong curiosity about the couple, but also about the individuals as well. They could practically feel eyes boring holes into the backs of their heads.

When they get to their class, Keigo immediately walks up to Ichigo.

"That slap mark didn't disappear for a couple of hours," Keigo says in amazement with his eyes round.

"You're still talking to her?" Ichigo asks with a bored voice. He rolls his eyes at his dumb friend.

"Of course! You never know when she'll want company in her bed again." Keigo says quickly in his own defense.

"You're a sad person." Ichigo tells him with a scoff.

"I can't believe what happened at lunch yesterday," Keigo says, shaking his head. "She surprised me." Keigo tells Ichigo. "You two really do make the perfect couple. Your temperaments are similar." Keigo says with a small grin.

"You do understand why Rukia attacked her, don't you?" Ichigo asks him with a look of disbelief in his eyes. He stares at Keigo as he waits for his answer.

"Yeah, Kuchiki-san was mad that Noriko hit on you when you came over during the weekend, and then acted like you wanted her to hit on you." Keigo says, further amazing Ichigo.

"It's okay with you that she was hitting on me?" Ichigo asks him with wide eyes.

"It's not like she and I are exclusive, you know. I'm not in love or anything. I just really like doing it with her." Keigo says with a smile. "I haven't forgotten how she treated me last year. I think it's really funny that she's been with me, considering some of the things she said about me before." Keigo says in a serious voice.

"So you're getting back at her by having sex with her?" Ichigo asks, not understanding his friend's thought process, isn't Keigo insulting himself?

"Kind of. It's not just that I have sex with her though, she's the kind of girl who will let you do whatever you want." Keigo says, and Ichigo just doesn't understand.

"What in the hell do you mean by that? Do I even want to know?" Ichigo asks him. Keigo leans over to whisper in his ear.

"I always spank her, and not lightly either and-" Keigo stops when Ichigo shoves him away by pushing his palm against his face.

"I don't want to hear anymore." Ichigo tells him with a look of disgust evident on his face. He's not happy with the mental images that Keigo just put into his head. He gives Keigo a pissed off glare for that too.

"Wait! I haven't gotten to the best part! She lets me put my-" He's silenced by Ichigo's fist. He doesn't know where Keigo was heading with that sentence, but he doesn't want to know how it ends.

"Shut up or I'll punch you again." Ichigo warns in a low voice.

"Why?" Keigo whines.

"I don't want to hear about what you do with that whore!" Ichigo yells it loudly, and several students walking by the classroom laugh at what he says. Everyone in the class titters as well.

"Don't be so loud!" Keigo says with an anxious look on his face.

"Then stop already!" Ichigo demands. Keigo nods his head meekly. He walks over to his seat and sits down. Ichigo sits in his seat and glances over at Rukia, who is watching him.

"Is he mad about what I did?" Rukia asks Ichigo quietly. Ichigo shakes his head.

"He doesn't even care about her. Only about getting her into bed." Ichigo explains, with a bit of a red face.

"Is that what he was saying in your ear?" Rukia asks with a knowing grin. She could tell by his expression as Keigo had tried to whisper in his ear that he had said something to embarrass Ichigo. He leans over to whisper in her ear.

"He was bragging that he spanks her, and when he tried to tell me more, I stopped him." Ichigo tells her, and when he pulls away from her ear, he can't meet her gaze. He'll die if Rukia tells him she wants him to spank her too.

"That's funny," Rukia tells him, and Ichigo glances at her to see her face lit up with amusement. "Remember when he slapped her butt in front of us?" Rukia reminds him.

"I discard those kinds of thoughts as quickly as possible," Ichigo tells her as he shudders from the willies. Rukia laughs.

"I like that about you," Rukia says with a smile, and she does. She's happy that Ichigo doesn't want to hear about a casual sex encounter and that he doesn't kiss and tell, like Keigo does. The only reason it amuses her, is because Itou angered her so much with her bitchy antics.

"Hi Rukia!" Renji's voice sounds from the hall and Rukia looks up and smiles and waves at Renji.

"Hey Renji!" Rukia replies, and several students notice her casual greeting with the unfamiliar red haired student and they quickly look to see Kurosaki's reaction to this development.

Ichigo doesn't react, however, he just starts getting out his books and Renji walks to his own class after Rukia waved at him. A few people get disappointed looks, since they had figured Kurosaki would have a reaction of some sort.

The teacher walks into the classroom a minute later and everyone rushes to their seats. When the teacher decides to address the class, her words bring raging blushes to Ichigo and Rukia's faces.

"Kurosaki, Kuchiki-san, I'd like to congratulate you on your future nuptials, I heard the two of you are engaged!" The teacher says it with a big smile, and Ichigo swears he hears Rukia squeak at the teacher's words.

Everyone's eyes are on them. Rukia's eyes are wide at the way they've suddenly become the center of attention yet again, except now it's during class. Some of the students are giggling and Rukia had not expected this. Ichigo looks just as embarrassed as she feels.

"Thanks," Rukia says softly, and she stares down at her desk to keep from seeing everyone else staring at her.

"Thank you," Ichigo says next. The teacher nods before beginning her morning lecture.

When lunchtime comes, Rukia and Ichigo leave the classroom, hand in hand. Everyone marvels at how even though he's a heck of a lot taller than her, they make a very handsome couple. She looks like she belongs at his side, and his nonexistent scowl has a startling effect as well. They look like a very happy couple, who are very much in love.

Some of the people who are more honest with themselves, and don't claim to have known all along that they were a couple, wonder how they didn't notice all of this before the announcement was made. The way Kurosaki looks at her is very different from any look he's ever given any of his other fellow schoolmates.

Rukia squeezes Ichigo's hand as they walk down the hall. She can feel all of the analytical eyes on them, and even though it makes her feel a bit like an animal at the zoo on display, she finds that it doesn't bring her down, because his hand offers more than enough comfort to get through the unwanted attention.

Ichigo also feels a bit miffed that once again everyone is observing his life with such blatant interest. He doesn't think he'll ever understand it, considering how often he feels like this, particularly since Rukia started coming to his school. The only thing making it tolerable is the way she squeezes his hand and depends on him for comfort.

When they make their way to the group, they find they're nearly the last ones there. Keigo is missing, which seems to be a frequent occurrence as of late, but nobody pays any mind to that. Rukia notices that Renji is there already, and once again he's seated next to Tatsuki. Rukia wonders whether or not they're becoming friends.

"Yo," Ichigo says as they join the group. Everyone acknowledges them with a smile when they see the pair holding hands. Rukia blushes a bit at the obvious looks at their clasped hands. Ichigo just ignores his friends though.

Rukia and Ichigo sit down and start opening their lunch bags, and pulling out their lunches. They're shocked when Keigo walks up to the group with Noriko and he gives her a bit of a shove towards Ichigo and Rukia. Noriko has a very disturbed look on her face as she confronts the girl who smacked her silly yesterday.

"I'd like to apologize," Noriko says in a very tight voice. "I should not have provoked you like I did, and I was wrong. I'd like to make it up to the both of you if you'll let me." Noriko says. Ichigo glances at Keigo who nods his head yes to Ichigo. Ichigo sighs, he hopes this isn't another silly trick of Noriko's to somehow get them back.

"Let her make it up to you, I talked to her." Keigo tells him. Ichigo nods at Keigo and then looks at Rukia.

"It's up to Rukia." Ichigo says, and Rukia gives him a small smile. She's glad that he's letting her decide what to do. Ichigo doesn't think for one second that she'll forgive Noriko.

"That all depends. What did you have in mind, for making it up to us?" Rukia asks with a raised eyebrow.

"My parents won't be home for the weekend, and I will happily throw a party for everyone sitting here in order to make up for my past rude behavior." Noriko tells Rukia. Renji elbows Rukia.

"Give her a chance." Renji tells her, and Rukia sighs. She can't tell if the girl is being sincere or not.

"That depends. Will you be walking around topless at this party?" Rukia asks in an icy voice. Noriko blushes.

"Not unless every other girl does too." Noriko answers. Rukia gives Noriko a threatening glare if she's lying, before she finally nods her head slowly in assent. Noriko's eyes widen at the nod.

"Alright, we'll come to your party." Rukia tells her. "However, if you try any funny business, you'll be a lot worse off than yesterday." Rukia says to get her point across. Noriko nods quickly. Keigo grabs Noriko's arm and pulls her over to the spot where he usually sits.

"You don't have to worry, Kuchiki-san. We've decided to be exclusive." Keigo says, and everyone looks very surprised at this response, particularly Ichigo. Both Rukia's acceptance to go to Noriko's party and Keigo's about face in regards to Noriko.

"Tell me why you decided to accept her offer of apology by a party," Ichigo says softly, and Rukia gives him a sideways glance and a pretty grin before she responds.

"I love parties." Rukia admits with a blush. "If she agrees to stop making plays for you then I would love to go to a party, it's been awhile. I'd especially like to go to a party with you." Rukia tells him with an excited smile. Ichigo rolls his eyes at her reasoning.

"Your lack of caution astounds me. You were ready to really fight her yesterday." Ichigo says with a look of disbelief.

"She didn't know I was who you were engaged to though. It's not like I want to be close friends with her, but why can't we all get along at a fun party?" Rukia asks him with a hint of a pout. "Besides, you'll be with me, and I'm always safe with you." Rukia says smiling. Ichigo grins.

"When you put it that way, you make me want to go too." Ichigo says.

"Who else will come?" Keigo asks them all.

"I'll come," Renji says immediately.

"Me too," Tatsuki says immediately after him. Both Rukia and Ichigo look surprised at Tatsuki's quick acceptance.

Soon after, every single person has agreed to come and Keigo is smiling triumphantly at Itou. She'll have a terrific party to brag about and everyone else might start warming up to her too. When she had cried to him at the start of lunch that nobody liked her, Keigo had softened considerably. He had told her that if she wanted to be exclusive, he'd help her regain her popularity.

She had looked at him very doubtfully and he had told her that he could do it. They made an agreement that if his plan worked, and people agreed to come to her party, that they'd be exclusive. The moment Rukia had agreed, it sealed the deal. Noriko feels a huge wave of relief that she isn't having to sit in some corner by herself crying at how hated she is. She decides to throw the best party she possibly can, in hopes that her status this time next week will be more like Kuchiki-san's has been this week.

"Thanks, Keigo." Noriko says it very softly and Keigo grins at her.

"No problem." Keigo tells her.

"Us girls should all go shopping for a new outfit together!" Tatsuki says excitedly, causing almost everyone to stare at her in shock. Tatsuki's never been big into shopping. Everyone wonders why this has changed, except for Rukia and Renji who don't know Tatsuki isn't big into shopping.

"That sounds like fun!" Inoue says to Tatsuki.

"I'm in!" Chizuru says next. "Orihime, I can help you in the dressing room!" Chizuru says before she pounces on Inoue and hugs her closely and tightly. Tatsuki punches her hard and Chizuru sinks down onto her back and moans in pain.

"I don't need to go shopping, I recently bought a bunch of clothes that I've never even worn yet," Rukia tells them honestly.

She also worries about the questions that the girls would ask if they all got her alone without Ichigo. She doesn't want to be bombarded with endless questions by all of them at once. She and Ichigo haven't even discussed what to say when they're asked exactly how they got engaged, which is bound to happen sooner or later.

"Really?" Tatsuki asks with a bit of disappointment. Rukia nods at her.

"Yes, and plus I join Ichigo's family for dinner every night and we work on our homework and study together." Rukia says quietly.

"Really? That's cool!" Kunieda says with a sigh. She wishes she had a smart guy to do homework and study with, for her that would be perfectly ideal. Ichigo blushes at that comment.

"You eat with his family every night?" Inoue asks feeling another huge wave of jealousy wash over her. She has always wished she could join Ichigo at his family dinners ever since Tatsuki explained to her how his father is such a fanatic about their family dinners.

_But she is his fiancé. She's practically family._

"Yeah, I love his family," Rukia says with a grin. "I feel like I've gained two sisters! I've always thought of his father as a second father too," Rukia tells Tatsuki before she eats some of her lunch. Ichigo grins at her. His family loves her too.

"I love your bracelet!" Michiru says all of a sudden to Rukia. Rukia smiles at her as she admires the bunny and heart bracelet.

"It was a present." Rukia tells her with a blush.

"From Kurosaki-kun?" Michiru asks wide eyed. She is amazed when Rukia nods her head yes. She had never imagined Kurosaki-kun might be nice enough to buy his fiancé such a pretty bracelet. She finds herself wishing she had a boy who bought her pretty jewelry too.

"Ichigo got you that? I didn't realize that when you told me it was a gift yesterday morning," Tatsuki says with a laugh. The girls all look at the bracelet, admiring it. Ichigo doesn't meet anyone's eyes as this happens.

"Ichigo has given me a lot of presents," Rukia explains, causing Ichigo to blush harder.

His friends exchange glances with one another. Every time they're sure they've finally gotten used to the way Kurosaki acts around Kuchiki-san, something else happens to shock them. Nobody had imagined that Kurosaki showered Kuchiki-san with gifts.

"It looks like you have a really good relationship," Mizuiro says, with a nod of his head.

"I think we do," Rukia says with a grin.

"You two look good together," Chizuru says, earning a pleased smile from Rukia who agrees completely.

"Don't you think so?" Tatsuki asks Renji as she taps him gently on the arm. Renji nods his head and gives Tatsuki a smile.

"I guess so, I hadn't really thought about it," Renji lies, not wanting to reveal that he had feelings for Rukia for a very long time.

"They do look good," Mahana says with a nod. She hasn't met any boys that really interest her, though like most girls she has the customary tiny crush on Kurosaki, nothing like Inoue, but a small crush all the same.

"Thanks, I think we look good too." Rukia tells Tatsuki and Renji. Ichigo can't help but grin a little bit. He likes that people think they look good together. It feels good to be together with her.

Noriko bites her lip at all the attention and envy directed at Kuchiki from every single girl in the group, with the exception of Tatsuki, it seems. It's all due to her relationship with Kurosaki too.

Noriko had once imagined that it was her who was at the center of this kind of envy for being with him, but he'd never once shown her any interest at all. If anything, he'd always been completely disinterested. Even now, the realization of that really chafes her, not that there's anything she can do about it.

Everyone eats and discusses Noriko's party. She decides to hold it on Saturday, starting early in the day not to end until Sunday. She decides everyone should start arriving around four in the afternoon at the earliest.

"We won't be over until after dinner," Ichigo informs everyone, and Rukia nods.

"His father is really insistent. But we will come," Rukia tells everyone. Ichigo tugs on her arm. Lunch ends within a minute. Ichigo stands and offers Rukia his hand. She grabs it and doesn't let go as they head off towards class. Several girls give wistful looking faces to their backs.

When they go to head home after school, Renji decides to walk with them until he parts to go to his apartment. He's relieved that the past two days seem to have gone very smoothly, with no obvious sign of a threat, only the mere possibility of being watched.

Rukia and Ichigo hold hands the whole way that he walks with them, and Renji realizes that Ichigo's feelings are for real. He's never anything but kind to her when he's around her, and Renji is thankful for that since he wouldn't be able to cope with it if Ichigo wasn't treating Rukia the right way.

When he parts from them, he walks slowly as he considers it's about time to move on. As much as he cares for Rukia, it's obvious that she's only into Ichigo. Tatsuki and Inoue end up catching up to him since he's walking slowly and Tatsuki grins when she walks up next to him and slows her own step to stay next to him.

"I can't get over the feeling that you study martial arts." Tatsuki says to him. Renji glances at her and smiles. He doesn't mind that this girl caught up to him.

"Yes, I'm trained in the martial arts," Renji admits with a grin.

"I have practiced karate since I was four." Tatsuki tells him proudly. Renji smiles at her.

"I don't study karate, I study Gracie jiu-jitsu." Renji tells her softly. Tatsuki jumps at the opening to talk about martial arts.

"What does that style entail?" Tatsuki asks with interest. Inoue is curious too. She glances at Renji as she waits for an explanation.

"It's a style that focuses on ground fighting." Renji tells her. "It centers on submissive techniques to end the fight." Renji explains easily as they all walk together.

"Really?" Tatsuki asks with a happy smile.

"Yeah, it's a very effective style," Renji tells her.

"It sounds fascinating." Tatsuki tells him with a grin. She's ecstatic that she's having an actual conversation with him that isn't about other people but about him.

"It's pretty cool." Renji answers her.

"Do you want to do homework together?" Inoue asks Renji. "That's what Tatsuki-chan and I were going to do." Inoue tells him. Renji smiles and nods.

"Sure." Renji says, smiling again at the dark haired girl next to him. He likes her no nonsense attitude.

J J J J

Rukia and Ichigo do their typical before dinner routine with getting a jumpstart on their homework. They work very hard to get their work done.

When Yuzu calls them down for dinner, Ichigo tells the family about how Itou apologized today for her rude behavior. Yuzu had smiled and Karin hadn't had much reaction. Isshin had grinned too.

"She realized she didn't stand a chance, eh?" Isshin had asked with a knowing smile.

"Actually she's in an exclusive relationship with Keigo now," Ichigo tells his father. Isshin looks shocked.

"Really?" Isshin asks, surprised at this information.

"Believe it or not," Ichigo confirms with a funny look on his face.

"School seems to be interesting lately, you never used to have anything to say last year," Isshin says with a smile. Ichigo gives Rukia an accusing look but she skillfully ignores it. Karin snickers since she saw the look Ichigo gave to Rukia.

"So you're going to blame it on Rukia-chan?" Isshin asks with a grin. He doesn't doubt that it's true, but he's sure his son has played some guilty role in all the drama in his school lately.

"Yeah!" Rukia chirps, turning her head at Ichigo.

"I didn't say it was _all _her fault," Ichigo says quickly. Rukia smiles and turns back to the last couple of bites of her meal.

"Good." Rukia says.

"You two are funny," Karin says with a laugh.

"Shut up!" Ichigo tells her. Karin smirks at him.

"Come on Ichigo, lets go work on our homework," Rukia tells him after she eats the last of her meal. Ichigo nods.

Rukia grins as she looks forward to their routine make out session after finishing their homework. It's her favorite part of the day, to lay in his arms, or sit in his lap and kiss and touch. He always makes her body feel like it's on fire, and he always looks at her with such a wonderful look in his eyes. He makes her feel truly cherished.

None of her senses ever react negatively to his touches. Everything about him is exciting and amazing. He always mumbles such sweet things too, as they make out. Rukia hurries through her homework so that she can enjoy once again the feel of being in Ichigo's arms.

When they finish, Rukia grins at Ichigo in anticipation. He jumps into the bed and pulls her into his arms. It's his favorite part of the day, too. He feels the most relaxed and happy when she's in his arms and he can kiss her senseless.

He loves the soft and quiet little moans she makes when he's kissing her deeply. He can tell she enjoys the closeness as much as he does. He can never get enough of running his hands all over her soft skin. He can't forget the way he'd felt so worried for her over the weekend and he tries to show her with his mouth and hands how much he loves her.

He loves everything about being with her, the feeling of her skin, the feeling of being inside her, the feeling of her hair when he runs his fingers through it, and the way she reacts to him. He gives her as much of himself as he can for having his family running around nearby, which of course meant they couldn't go all the way.

He starts to massage her breasts as he kisses her and he uses his fingers to rub her nipples until they turn hard under his fingers. He groans into her mouth at the feeling of her nipples all hard underneath his touch.

She responds in the way that drives him even more crazy by being so eager, willing, and accepting whenever he touches her. She always welcomes his touch and he has no problem telling when he's pleasing her, by the way she reacts with uninhibited emotions when they're intimate.

The time they spend in each other's arms always makes time fly, and neither one of them want to pull apart when it's time to head downstairs, since ten o'clock is nearly upon them.

Ichigo walks her to her door, and Rukia motions for him to wait a minute. She quickly checks around inside and then comes back and smiles at Ichigo. She grabs his arm and pulls him inside and upstairs into her bedroom. They continue their make out session in her bedroom, and they slowly remove all of their clothing. Rukia kisses Ichigo urgently, she's been wanting this ever since the last time they finished making love. They don't spend that long making out though, since both of them are longing for more than that from the time they spent making out in Ichigo's room.

In hardly any time at all, Ichigo is above her naked body with his own, ready to enter her. He stares into her eyes as he does so, and she stares back and moans as he enters her, making her feel very sentimental as she stares into his warm eyes.

"I love doing this with you, it's beautiful," Rukia whispers before he starts rocking in and out of her. He pulls himself into a push up position and doesn't use her body to support himself at all. He supports himself with his own hands against her bed as he swiftly pulls out and pushes back in at a very quick speed.

For Rukia, it's the most amazing sensation to _only_ feel him moving inside of her and not resting any of his weight on top of her. She lets out several excited breaths with moans laced into them and Ichigo can feel her excitement building by the way she's raising her hips in an energetic and enthusiastic motion against his own body. He can hardly control himself when he feels the trembling of her body signify release of her climax. Ichigo ends up yanking himself out of her when he feels his own climax coming on. He presses himself against her stomach instead and presses his chest against hers as he releases.

Rukia smiles lovingly at him when he collapses completely on top of her and then swiftly rolls to the side.

"Follow me," Rukia tells him as she pops out of the bed. Ichigo follows her into the very luxurious bathroom.

"Wow, this is really nice," Ichigo tells her, a bit self conscious about how he's naked in front of her after sex.

"Take a bath with me!" Rukia whispers with a glint of mischief in her eyes. Ichigo couldn't say no if he wanted to. She runs the water and they climb into the tub together. Ichigo finds that it's very enjoyable to help her wash her body. He also enjoys letting her wash him. They cuddle together in the warm water and Ichigo kisses her neck. He thinks it's relaxing to bathe with her.

"I can't ever get enough of you," Ichigo whispers softly in her ear as she leans back against him.

"I can't get enough of you either," Rukia tells him smiling. "So I'm glad you're in the same condition," She whispers happily.

They spend a long time in the tub cuddling until the water starts to feel like it's lost its heat. When they get out, Rukia hands him a towel and then grabs one of her own.

Ichigo is able to successfully sneak out of Rukia's house without ever being detected by Shoko, and Rukia smiles in complete bliss as she looks out her window and sees Ichigo enter his bedroom through his window. She loves that she's this close, it is such a warm and wonderful feeling. Rukia hugs herself as has a flashback of their love making session.

_That's the bedroom window of the guy I love._

Rukia sighs in content as pulls out her laptop and she quickly checks her emails. When she sees one from Aizen, she opens it and reads it in anticipation.

_I am giving a special lecture that is open to the public this weekend, will you be in Tokyo? If so, you're more than welcome to come and listen._

_Professor Aizen_

Rukia grins at that. She hopes he always lets her know about events such as these, since it sounded interesting.

She replies back that she will not be in Tokyo since she has a party to attend with classmates. She thanks him for the offer though and asks him to let her know of these kinds of events in the future as well. Rukia clicks send, and then she gets off the computer to go to bed.

J J J J

"Call your guy and have him get as many men as he needs to keep a close eye on that girl, she has a party planned for this weekend with her classmates. I want a group of ten men to go into that party and subdue those kids. I think that if there is a large group of you, it will be quite easy to get our hands on Kuchiki." Aizen tells one of his trusted men who has plenty of guys willing to do whatever he asks. He also lets out a sigh of frustration that he has to wait until the weekend for this opportunity.

"Sure thing," The man says on the other line as he listens to Aizen intently. He'll do whatever this man asks of him, if he gives him back his future.

"Also, be sure that when you deliver her, you've gotten rid of your cohorts. You and the girl are the only ones I want to arrive back here." Aizen instructs him in a hard voice.

"Understood." The man replies dutifully, and a bit nervously.

"Oh, and Kira? There is one kid that might be at the party who is capable of taking down four grown men. Make sure you bring someone or a couple of people specifically to incapacitate him. Don't completely underestimate them just because they're teenage kids." Aizen instructs, remembering the way Kuchiki Rukia had put a painful grip on his wrist at the teahouse. " Make sure no kids see your faces either." Aizen finishes with a loud breath after his rambling. He wants it all to go smoothly, no mistakes this time around.

"I have several men in mind already. Guys who teenage kids would find to be terrifying." Kira assures him, he can tell how important this is to the professor.

"If you succeed, I guarantee you that dream job at The Tokyo Shimbun, since I know someone there who can get you in . You won't be committing crimes anymore, you'll be reporting on them, except for of course anything from the past that involved you and I for both of our futures." Aizen tells him. He hears Kira gasp on the other line.

"I will not fail! Thank you Aizen-sensei!" Kira says excitedly. It's his dream to end his life of crime and to take on a respectable job, find a nice girl to marry and lead a normal life.

"That's what I hoped you would tell me. Get to work you do not have the luxury of doing a half assed job." Aizen orders before hanging up the phone. He glances at the picture of he and Rukia together and he licks his lips.

He laughs at how easy it was to find out her weekend plans. It's like having an inside scoop on her life. He's quite certain that security at the house in Karakura Town has been strengthened, and he doesn't believe in trying a failing method for a second time.

He grins as he imagines a group of men storming the party and scaring the hell out of the teens. He knows that psychologically, most kids would follow whatever orders are given to them in such a situation.

The other kids will give the account that a group of men kidnapped Kuchiki and nobody will ever suspect that the professor had anything at all to do with it.

He smiles at his genius idea. He knows that this plan has a much higher success rate. He's done a lot of research into the psyche of young people due to his own personal sick and twisted interests. He's in a much better mood than he was yesterday. He knows that even if Kira fails, he'll never point the finger at Aizen, although Aizen doesn't even want to consider the possibility of another failure.

"Wait until you're all mine, Kuchiki Rukia." Aizen says in a voice that's full of amusement and promise.

He can hardly wait. He remembers the way she looked in her leotard for her gymnastics practice and he just can't stop grinning. Very soon his life will no longer be dull, because he will have a new pet. A new pet that he can really get some enjoyment out of.


	26. Chapter 25: We Could Use A Party

Chapter 25

_We Could Use A Party_

Rukia wakes up Wednesday morning feeling on top of the world after the quality time she and Ichigo spent together the night before. She quickly gets ready for school and dashes outside to find Ichigo waiting for her outside of her front door.

She gives him a happy kiss hello which he returns with mutual vigor and she gives him a hug. She grins happily when he wraps his arms around her tightly. He throws his arm around her shoulder and she leans into his side to walk to school. Rukia never notices that they're being observed the whole time they walk, and she feels quite carefree since they had such a romantic night the night before.

Ichigo has an uneasy feeling that he can't explain, but he doesn't let it get to him since his arm is protectively around her.

When they're almost to school, they pull away to hold hands, and they find Renji waiting for them in front of the school.

"Yo, Renji," Rukia says with a smile.

"Yo. I'm looking forward to the party this weekend." Renji tells her with a smile.

"Yeah, it will probably be a lot of fun with everyone there," Rukia agrees. She had almost forgotten about Itou's party. They head inside to switch out their outdoor shoes for indoor shoes before they head to their classes. They run into Tatsuki halfway to class and she gives Renji a huge grin as she falls into step next to him, with Inoue on her other side.

They walk Renji to his class and the rest of them head to their own class.

"We're going shopping after school Friday for the party," Tatsuki tells Rukia, and Inoue nods.

"What do you want to buy?" Rukia asks her with a grin.

"Something cute," Tatsuki says with a bit of a blush. Ichigo gives her a quick surprised glance.

"You never cared if you looked cute before," Ichigo says with a raised eyebrow. Tatsuki sighs and smacks Ichigo in the back of his head. Rukia giggles at Ichigo's annoyed expression.

"Why in the hell would you say that?" Tatsuki growls at him. Ichigo glares at her with narrowed eyes. They walk into their classroom and continue their discussion since they're a bit early.

'You're the one who always said you didn't care about that girly stuff." Ichigo mutters since the back of his head is still stinging.

"That was when I was twelve!" Tatsuki snaps back. Ichigo just nods and doesn't argue.

"Don't worry Tatsuki-chan, we'll definitely find something cute for you to wear." Inoue says as she touches Tatsuki's arm.

"Are you sure that you don't want to come with us?" Tatsuki asks Rukia in a much calmer voice. Rukia smiles at her.

"I truly appreciate your offer, but I really do already have an outfit for the party." Rukia tells her and she squeezes Ichigo's hand in her own. He squeezes back and she feels a wave of happiness run throughout her body.

"How is this for an idea? Why don't the three of us get ready for the party together?" Tatsuki asks excitedly.

"I would, but I won't be coming until after dinner at Ichigo's" Rukia reminds her, and Tatsuki's face falls a bit.

"I forgot about that," Tatsuki admits with a bit of a grin. Ishida walks over to greet Inoue.

"Good morning, Inoue-san." Ishida says before he pushes up his glasses in a nervous gesture. Inoue smiles brightly back at him.

"Good morning, Ishida-kun." Inoue says as she looks up at him with a grin. "Don't worry, Tatsuki-chan, we can get ready for the party together." Inoue tells Tatsuki.

"Inoue-san, would you mind if I walked with you to the party? I'd prefer to show up with a group rather than by myself." Ishida says to her. Inoue gives him a nod.

"Of course, Ishida-kun. We don't mind at all." Inoue says, and Tatsuki nods. She won't mind because Renji will be walking them, and this way she won't have to worry about accidentally ignoring Orihime if she has another friend to talk to while Tatsuki tries to talk to Renji.

"Sure, just meet us outside of Orihime's apartment at quarter after four." Tatsuki tells Ishida. He nods and then walks back to his seat with a small smile gracing his face. He would have spoken, but he was sure he'd either stammer or his voice would crack at his instant excitement of being able to walk Inoue-san to the party.

"What time do you think that the two of you will make it to the party?" Tatsuki asks Ichigo and Rukia.

"We'll leave as soon as we finish dinner. We may be able to make it there around eight." Ichigo tells her.

"Maybe I'll ask your father if we can do dinner an hour earlier, so that we don't arrive at the party quite so late," Rukia tells Ichigo.

"You can try, but dinner has always been at seven." Ichigo warns her.

"Don't underestimate my charm over your father," Rukia warns him, and Ichigo grins. She's right, if anybody could convince his father to move dinner up an hour for a day, it would be Rukia. His father acts like she's another daughter, and he's very soft towards his daughters.

"I don't mind if you ask." Ichigo says, still grinning at her.

"I'll ask him tonight." Rukia tells him and Ichigo nods.

"Great idea!" Tatsuki says, beaming at her. The warning bell rings and they all shuffle to their seats. Rukia grins at Ichigo as they let go of each other's hands before they go to sit in their seats.

Ichigo keeps looking at Rukia as they wait for everyone to get to their seats and for the teacher to arrive to class. Rukia looks at him too. She remembers the way it felt to take a bath with him the night before and she blushes a little. Ichigo sees her blush and has a good idea of what thought just crossed her mind.

He had enjoyed the bath a great deal too. It had been incredibly romantic. He won't ever admit it to anybody other than her, but he greatly enjoys _all_ of their romantic moments. He doesn't care how unmanly it is either. He always feels so great when he's with her. When they're being intimate, it feels like it calms his entire being. Just having her in his arms is enough to make him so completely happy and lightheaded.

She's like some kind of wondrous drug to give him such a euphoric and high feeling from being around her. He can't ever get enough of her, and he wonders how many people feel this strongly for the person they love. He knows his parents had an amazing love, and he had always wanted to have that kind of love. With Rukia, he already has it, and it really moves him.

He knows she's sometimes impulsive and she attracts certain danger, probably the star she was born under, but he wants nothing more than to protect and take care of her, and benefit from her impulsiveness. It had certainly paid off last night. He hadn't expected her to drag him up to her room so that they could make love. It had been so great, and it felt just as sensational as it had the first time. He loves her, impulsive as she is and as much danger as she attracts, after all he's the perfect man to protect her from all of the evils in the world.

The fact that Shoko was already in bed had just been luck, but still Ichigo had loved every moment he'd spent with her at her house. He hadn't been questioned when he'd come home either. Ichigo lets his mind go back to their bath together, and he grins. He wishes every time he bathes, he could do it with her. It had been the nicest bath he had ever taken in his life.

The teacher walks into the classroom and sees Ichigo and Rukia staring at each other with an incredible look of love and she smiles at the class.

"Good morning class! I see everybody is in a good mood, even Kurosaki! I figure this is probably the best time to warn you that you all have a test on Friday, covering a lot of the first semester's material, and not only that you'll have material on the test from the past week as well." The teacher makes this announcement and receives a bunch of grumbles and mutters from her students.

"That only gives us two days to study!" Tatsuki sputters out loud.

"I wasn't going to inform you about the test until tomorrow, however since I expect Kuchiki-san to take the test as well, I thought I'd give a two day notice. I expect Kurosaki will be able to help you go over the material from first semester." The teacher says to Rukia who blushes. She looks at Kurosaki next.

"Of course I'll help her." Ichigo says immediately, and most of the students in the class smile at that. The teacher smiles too.

"Wonderful! Now that I have that announcement out of the way, it's time to start class." The teacher says as she walks over to the blackboard and grabs a piece of chalk.

"Thanks!" Rukia whispers under her breath to Ichigo. He smiles and nods at her. With the excuse of such a major test coming up, she might be able to extend her curfew a bit. Most of the students are still grumbling at the announcement and the teacher sighs and turns around to face them all.

"This is actually a typical procedure, don't think you won't have a similar type of test next year too." The teacher tells them in a bit of an irritated voice. That earns more moans and grumbles. The teacher ignores them this time though. She remembers hating tests in school too.

The morning flies by fairly quickly and when everybody gathers for lunch today, the test is the big topic of the day. Apparently it's happening in all of the classes today, and nobody is in the greatest of moods. Nobody has a smile on their face as they all grumble about the major tests happening in two days. Apparently because of the new transfer students, the warning was given a day earlier than usual.

"We should form study groups for the next two nights and help each other study," Tatsuki says, looking at Renji.

"That's a good idea. We should form groups of four or five and study." Ishida says, looking at Inoue.

"I like that idea! Maybe we'll all do well on the test if we all study together!" Keigo says dreading the test.

"Rukia and I will study together." Ichigo says, making sure nobody tries to invite them into their group.

"Yes, because of the schedule at his family's house, it would be difficult for us to join a group." Rukia tells them.

"You two just like being alone together," Mizuiro says with a chuckle, causing the pair to blush as memories of the night before flood both of their brains.

"Shut up," Ichigo growls at him causing everyone to laugh. During lunch, everyone determines what group they'll be in. They end up forming three groups.

Sado will host one study group since he lives alone. Mizuiro, Noriko, Keigo, Mahana, and Kunieda will all study there.

Inoue will host one study group since she lives alone as well. It will be Ishida, Michiru, Tatsuki, Chizuru, and Renji at her house.

Then of course, it will be Ichigo and Rukia studying together.

The rest of lunch period is spent determining the times of their studying, and since Tatsuki will be spending the night at Inoue's house, they propose an all evening and late night study session at her house. Michiru decides to ask her mom if she can spend the night at Inoue's house for the study session, and Ishida will say he's sleeping at Renji's house in order to stay. Chizuru tells them she'll be able to stay, with an excited and happy smile. Tatsuki rolls her eyes at that reaction.

Sado proposes an earlier study session, but he tells them they are more than welcome to spend the night if the study session runs late.

Everyone heads back to class after lunch, feeling a lot more confident about Friday's highly unreasonable test. Every study group will have some of the top students in the class among them, and everyone feels a bit of relief that they won't be studying for the test by themselves.

The afternoon passes quickly, and everyone rushes to get to their homes and tell their parents about their respective study groups, and the ones without parents just head for their group as quickly as they can after the bell dismisses them from the school day.

Ichigo and Rukia rush home too, once again, totally unaware that they're being observed. Ichigo does have an uneasy feeling that he cannot explain though, he doesn't mention it. They hold hands the entire way home and rush up to Ichigo's room to study. Ichigo starts pulling out all of his old notes from class last semester to help her out.

They review quite a bit of his old notes before they're called down to dinner, and Rukia practically feels like her head is spinning from all of the information she and Ichigo have already gone over. She'll definitely be ready for a party this Saturday after all the studying she'll be doing tonight and tomorrow night.

"You two look stressed out," Isshin tells them.

"We have a huge test on Friday, covering last semesters material and so we're doing some heavy studying now." Ichigo explains with a stressed out look still on his face.

"Yes, and then on Saturday we're going to a classmate's party. We'll all be able to use a party after such a big test. Would it be possible for us all to do dinner a bit earlier Saturday? I'll even take you all out for dinner for having me over all of the time." Rukia offers to Isshin. He can tell it means a lot to her.

"Sure we can all do it earlier," Isshin says without challenging it at all. Ichigo's eyes widen a bit at that.

"Great! I'll have the driver take us all out around half past five, and we'll likely be out until around seven or so." Rukia tells him. Isshin nods and smiles.

"Girls, you hear that? Dinner is earlier on Saturday, make sure you're home earlier!" Isshin tells them, and the girls nod.

"How would you girls like to go through the clothes I was telling you I had for you to go through last week? I can have Ichigo help me bring them over after school on Friday." Rukia tells them, and they both smile at this offer.

"I'd love that, Rukia-chan!" Yuzu says with a big bright smile. Karin nods too.

"Thanks." Karin says simply.

"Ichigo, I think I'll have the driver take us to school so that we can study for a few minutes in the morning as well, since all of our classmates are having overnight study sessions." Rukia tells him, and Ichigo nods.

"Okay." He tells her.

"Also, when I go home at ten, you should come with me and we'll study at my house for a couple more hours." Rukia tells him. Ichigo nods again.

They finish their meals far more quickly than usual and rush back up to his room to continue their study session. Both of them are a bit depressed, seeing as how they won't have any time for their usual make out session.

They do exactly as Rukia had proposed and they study hard until ten, and then they move all of their study materials from Ichigo's bedroom to Rukia's dining room table. They stay up studying until after midnight. When Ichigo finally goes to head home, he gives Rukia a very big kiss goodnight. He enjoys this moment since they had no make out session tonight. He's glad that they made love the night before too, since they barely touched tonight.

J J J J

Aizen listens to the report of Rukia's day and he realizes she's very close to the boy next door that had saved her from his men, and he wonders whether or not they were close before that incident, since she never mentioned the boy to him.

Apparently he had stayed over quite late the night before, and Aizen wonders what the extent of their relationship is. He can hardly wait for Saturday night to come.

He already has the itinerary for her first month in captivity with him planned out. He's had a lot of time to think about it, since he had wanted to already have her in his possession at this point. With each day that passes where she is not in his clutches, his desire to own her grows more rampant.

He takes his time coming up with fresh new ideas specifically tailored to the girl he wants to have so badly. He wants for this weekend to go smoothly so that she's in his grasp for the entire day on Sunday. He has nothing at all planned for that day besides her induction into his underground chamber.

Aizen tries to contemplate what could go wrong in this attempt but he thinks it really does stand an excellent chance of being successful. He'll call Kira and order them to bring knives and brass knuckles so that the kids are even more scared than they would be at just the presence of so many men. He doesn't want to take any chances with the orange haired boy who saved her last time.

J J J J

On Friday, everyone is really stressed first thing in the morning from all of their extensive studying. Rukia and Ichigo had followed through on their own extensive study sessions, and everyone had studied together during lunch on Thursday. They had been given study time in class as well on Thursday. Nothing noteworthy had happened that day, since everyone was so focused on studying.

The tests go on all day, and at lunchtime they all keep studying for the afternoon tests. The only mention of anything outside of the tests is only as everyone is gathering their materials to head back inside when everyone agrees that a party this weekend will be a great way to forget about the tests today. Everyone is happy that because of the tests, there will be no real homework this weekend.

When the afternoon finally ends, everyone looks a bit harried and tired. The girls all gather to go shopping, except for Rukia. She and Ichigo leave school and walk at a quick pace to her house and grab the box of clothes for his sisters to go through. They head over to his house and set the box in the family room. They immediately run up to his room to catch up on all of the make out time that they had lost due to the tests.

His father is still in the clinic and the girls weren't home yet, and so Ichigo and Rukia end up making love in his bed. They had been so hungry for one another after they'd barely been able to touch each other for the past two days.

They took their time too, and Ichigo kissed her all over her body, and then she kissed him all over his. He loved the way she rubbed her tongue across his stomach. Every time she moved her tongue across any part of his body though, it brought waves of unimaginable pleasure.

When she had licked him in his most sensitive place though he had let out a long and low groan of happiness and pleasure. She experimented different ways of touching and licking him to see what he reacted to the most.

He had let out a really loud moan and had rocked his body unconsciously when she started using her hands as well as her mouth to find naughty yet wonderful ways to bring him pleasure.

He had yanked her back up into his arms and he had started kissing her frantically and when she started giving him the same yearning moans that she had earned from him, he made the move to start making love to her.

They had both gone a little bit crazy with their enthusiasm since they'd barely touched the previous two days. When Ichigo is moving on top of her, she runs her hands up and down his arms and squeezes his hard muscles. She loves the feel of him underneath her hands.

When Rukia starts moaning a lot more loudly, and her body trembles in that familiar way that indicates her release, Ichigo bites his lip as he forces himself to hold off a moment more, before he finds his own release.

Once again he yanks himself out of her in the nick of time and crushes his body against her as he feels himself releasing onto her front. When he pulls away, he leans over and grabs a towel and tosses it at her to let her wipe off her stomach, and when she's done, he follows suit.

He climbs back into bed with her without dressing and enjoys the feel of their naked bodies touching as he tells her how much he loves her, and how special making love to her is to him.

"It's amazing being with you, it's not just the physical feelings, but the emotional feelings as well," he admits to her.

"I understand exactly what you mean," Rukia whispers as she too enjoys the feel of just cuddling naked like this after having made love.

"I love you more than anything else in this world," Ichigo tells her very seriously. "I'm going to hold you like this a lot, and I'll never take you for granted," he promises her. He has had an uneasy feeling for the past few days that he hasn't been able to figure out or pinpoint.

"I won't let you forget that you made that promise to me," Rukia tells him with tears of happiness shining in her eyes.

"I'll never forget. You're the only one who can bring such total and complete happiness into my life…I was miserable before you came back into my life. I was miserable from the time my mom died until I found you again." Ichigo tells her softly.

"I always loved your mom," Rukia tells him, wondering if he'll share with her how his mom had died.

"She loved you too," Ichigo tells her with a grin. He doesn't even realize she's curious about his mom's death, and he has never been inclined to just discuss it.

Rukia just cannot bring herself to ask about it outright yet, no matter how close she feels to him, she's afraid she'll bring unhappiness to his eyes if she asks. She just has that _feeling_.

"I love you so much Ichigo, I'm really sure that if you didn't exist, I wouldn't be here today." Rukia whispers to him. He gives her such a deep look she can't even breathe, and his next words startle her so much.

"You may think that I saved you, but you saved me too," Ichigo tells her, his voice full of meaning. She stares into his loving eyes and wonders how it's even possible to love him more now than she did a minute ago.

"I saved you?" Rukia asks happily.

"Of course! Without you, I wouldn't have any hope for happiness!" Ichigo tells her, making a tear fall down her cheek. His words move her.

"You really mean that don't you?" Rukia asks as she smiles though a second tear is making its way down her cheek. Ichigo wipes away the tears, and he's not offended, he can tell that they're the good kind.

"More than anything." He confirms without any doubt in his voice.

"I'm glad." Rukia tells him. "You know I can't imagine my life without you being a big part of it." Rukia tells him, and he kisses her. It's such a passionate kiss since they're naked and holding each other so close.

Rukia presses her breasts hard into his chest as she lets herself get lost in the wondrous loving kiss. He's moving his tongue around slowly and surely in her mouth to express the words he just said to her.

They pull away, and the romance is sucked out of the moment completely when they hear his sisters arrive home. They squeal when they see the box of clothes downstairs.

Ichigo and Rukia fly out of bed and get dressed as quickly as they can. Rukia pulls a comb out of her purse and begins to comb her hair furiously. Her lips are rosy and swollen from all of their passionate kissing, but there isn't a whole lot they can do about that.

They both wander downstairs and they find both Karin and Yuzu holding up some clothes happily. Karin has found a few workout outfits that she adores, they'll be perfect for playing soccer. She grins happily when Rukia appears.

Yuzu is holding up a pale blue and pink dress and is looking at it with a look of love on her face.

"This is beautiful! Are you sure you want to give this away, it would look wonderful on you!" Yuzu says to Rukia.

"I loved it on the rack too, and it was supposed to be my size, but it is a bit too small on me. I can't wear it." Rukia tells her with a grin, and Yuzu hugs the dress to her chest.

"It's such a soft material! I love it!" Yuzu says happily. Rukia grins at the girls. It seems that they have completely different tastes, and Yuzu adores the dresses and girly clothes that she finds, and Karin finds ideal workout clothes. Rukia had a bought lot of dark colors for working out so that she didn't have the sweaty wet look when she worked out hard, she also had some wind breakers from America that she had grown out of that Karin seemed to fall in love with.

They end up taking most of the clothes that she had brought over. Yuzu mentions that she has a girlfriend that isn't that well off, who she'd like to give the rest to, and Rukia immediately agrees that is a nice idea. She wants someone who needs the clothes to have them anyways.

Isshin walks into the room to see everyone is present and smiling. He sees the girls happily looking at the clothes that Rukia had brought over and he gives her a beaming smile.

"The whole family is together!" Isshin yells before he runs over to Masaki's shrine. "Our children are so happy!" Isshin says in a loving voice. Karin and Ichigo roll their eyes, and Rukia watches him wide eyed. Yuzu pays no attention to her father.

"This was very generous of you!" Yuzu says happily. Rukia grins at her and catches her eye.

"It can't come close to repaying the kindness you have shown me," Rukia tells her softly, and Yuzu smiles happily before she runs over and hugs Rukia. Rukia chuckles as she hugs his sister back. "You're practically my little sister." Rukia tells her with a sincere smile.

"I feel the same way!" Yuzu tells her as she starts gathering the clothes to hang them up in her closet. Karin follows suit.

"See? The whole family loves you!" Isshin tells Rukia happily. She leans into Ichigo's side and feels his arm come up around her, and she looks at Isshin with all of the happiness in the world, shining in her eyes.

"I love all of you guys too," she tells him, and she feels Ichigo squeeze her a bit. Isshin smiles at the pair.

"I knew it when I saw you two as little kids that you would always adore each other," Isshin admits.

"I'm still glad you made sure we would by taping our childhood escapades." Rukia tells him happily.

"I'm more perceptive than I appear to be," Isshin says, winking at her.

"It's because of those videos, locket, and pictures that I've been given back memories that I would have otherwise forgotten due to my young age," Rukia tells him.

"You two were the cutest kids in history when you declared that you would surely get married one day," Isshin says, smiling at the memory. Ichigo and Rukia blush at that statement.

"We will," Rukia tells him in a soft but sure voice. Isshin grins and nods his head.

"I _hope_ so," Isshin says in a voice that makes them both look at him. "Considering how close you two have become, I'd expect nothing else," Isshin tells them, giving them a look. It's a look that is similar to the one he had given when he had told Rukia to run a comb through her hair before she went home last week. Neither one meets his eyes at that comment.

"We will." Ichigo growls through his blush.

"What are your plans for this evening?" Isshin asks them.

"I was going to see if Rukia wanted to watch a movie after dinner," Ichigo tells his dad.

"Why don't the two of you go out somewhere? I rented a movie for the girls, and it's probably not something the two of you would be into." Isshin tells Ichigo.

Ichigo doesn't like the sound of this. He had wanted to keep Rukia inside tonight since they'd be going out tomorrow, and he still has an uneasy feeling, particularly when they're outside.

"Maybe we'll go to Rukia's house to watch a movie then," Ichigo tells his dad.

Isshin had noticed the look on Ichigo's face, and he realizes that his son is still nervous about Rukia's safety considering what happened last week.

"That's fine, but I have another proposal. How about we all go out for ice cream after dinner and then we'll head home to watch our movie, and you two can head home to watch the movie at Rukia's place. Rukia grins, but Ichigo likes this idea even less.

"Rukia, I'll take you out for ice cream, but not with my family. Dad, I don't want to spend my Friday evening hanging out with you, no offense." Ichigo tells him. Isshin had seen the look of deep concern cross Ichigo's face when he'd made his suggestion, and he wonders why his son is being so extremely protective.

Ichigo walks over to the front door and glances outside. He doesn't see anyone or anything unusual, but it still feels like something is off or unnatural. He doesn't see anybody staring at his house, and he doesn't see any unfamiliar cars parked nearby.

He had secretly been glad when Rukia had the car take them to and from school on Thursday, even though they had walked home together today.

"Alright." Isshin says, and Rukia nods her assent as well. She can tell Ichigo is feeling uneasy about _something_, although she's not entirely sure what that something is.

All of his actions are screaming that he senses some kind of danger. He had held her hand and walked quickly on the way to her house today too. She had noticed, but hadn't commented, because at the time, she'd assumed he'd been in a hurry to make out.

"I ordered pizza tonight since Yuzu was out with Karin for so long. It should be here really soon." Isshin tells them and Rukia's eyes widen happily.

"Pizza and ice cream? This is the perfect way to eat after a long day of tests!" Rukia says very happily. Ichigo grins too.

"I agree." Ichigo tells her. They walk over and sit on the couch to await the arrival of the pizza. Isshin disappears and they take the opportunity to kiss some more. They're kissing when Karin comes back in the room.

"Get a room!" Karin explodes when she walks in to find them in a fierce lip lock. Ichigo and Rukia pull away and blush at her outburst.

"Beat it, shrimp!" Ichigo commands, and Karin glares at him.

"Pizza will be here any minute. I'm not going anywhere!" Karin tells them. Ichigo sighs in exasperation.

"Then keep your comments to yourself." Ichigo warns her. Karin keeps glaring at him.

"Quit bossing me around!" Karin shouts. Yuzu appears at the shouting.

"Calm down!" Yuzu tells Karin, and she notices how close her brother and Rukia are sitting and she smiles at them.

"Ichi-ni needs to stop being such a jerk!" Karin says to Yuzu.

"You're the brat, making all your rude remarks." Ichigo informs her with a glare as angry as her own. Isshin appears back in the room.

"Everyone sit down and shut up and smile until the pizza gets here!" Isshin commands, annoyed with the bickering.

Everyone freezes when they hear a knock on the door. Isshin smiles gratefully when he sees the pizza guy at the door. Everyone scrambles to the table where Yuzu had already had plates and napkins set out.

Everyone's mood cheers up at the sight and smell of pizza as Isshin opens the box on the table. Everyone grabs a piece and they all enjoy a delightful dinner, without any arguments, and without a whole lot of talking. Ichigo and Rukia have nothing new to report besides the fact that they're glad the tests are over. When they finish eating, Ichigo quickly drags Rukia out of the house and heads to the ice cream shop around the corner from his house.

He can't shake the uneasy feeling that they're being watched, nor can he figure out what's giving him the feeling. Every time he tries to locate the source, he's unsuccessful. He tightens his hold on Rukia's hand as they walk towards the shop at a very fast pace. Rukia feels like she's practically being dragged.

"I can't walk that quick!" Rukia tells him, and Ichigo immediately slows down, and grins at her.

"Sorry, bad habit." He tells her.

"Is something bothering you?" Rukia asks him straight out. She can tell he's uneasy. He gives her an apologetic look.

"I feel like someone is watching us." Ichigo tells her, with a small blush. Rukia looks confused but she closes her eyes and concentrates. Now that he mentions it, she too has a strange sensation that something is off, and when she looks around, she sees nothing that can confirm that suspicion.

"I hadn't noticed anything until you said it, but now that I think about it, I think you could be right." Rukia tells him slowly. "I wonder who would want to watch us?" Rukia asks.

"Maybe someone who knows the guys who broke into your home last week," Ichigo tells her, making her gasp.

"You think that there are more of them?" She asks nervously.

"I'm sure of it. When I was at your house, waiting for them to exit your room so that I could beat the hell out of them, they mentioned something about needing to call someone. I wonder who they wanted to call." Ichigo tells her.

"Did you tell the police that?" Rukia asks him. Ichigo nods his head.

"The only thing I lied about to them was about how I learned of the intruders." Ichigo whispers into her ear, not wanting anybody to overhear that remark. Rukia nods. She wonders why someone out there is targeting her.

"Do you think it's my father's brother?" Rukia asks nervously. Ichigo shrugs.

"Whoever it is, we should always be on our guard." He warns her as they walk inside of the ice cream shop.

"You're right. Want to share an extra large hot fudge sundae?" Rukia asks him. Ichigo grins.

"Sounds like a plan." He says, grinning at her. They order their ice cream and then sit as a table to share with each other.

Even though they both enjoy the date and the treat, neither of them ever lose that uneasy feeling. Ichigo feels pretty bad that Rukia is just as uneasy as he is now, but at least she'll watch her back more now, and hopefully won't do anything to jeopardize herself.

They head back to her house, and Ichigo breathes a sigh of relief once they're in the front door and Rukia activates the security code.

They spend the evening cuddling and watching the movie. Ichigo ends up passing out on her couch, and Rukia lets him sleep there when she goes up to her own room. She had written a note for Shoko that Ichigo had fallen asleep during the movie and that's why he's there.

J J J J

Aizen contemplates the information he's been given. The people who had observed the kids had done an amazing job of not being detected, even though the reports state that the couple acted uneasy and even looked around as though they knew they were being watched.

They're sure to receive the shock of their lives when the men bust into their party. Kira had outdone himself in his ambition to work for the Tokyo Shimbun and had managed to gather twenty men for the invasion of the party, which was certain to have an even more shocking effect on the party goers than ten men.

Aizen can feel the anticipation building from his stomach and then shooting throughout his entire body as his mind wanders to the thought of what it will be like to have Kuchiki Rukia in his clutches. He imagines her restrained in his underground chamber, without a stitch of clothing as he freely runs his hands up and down her entire body, and then he imagines grabbing her hair in a painful grasp before he forces his tongue in her mouth.

He feels the excitement building as he pictures what it will be like to enter her for the very first time. He just cannot wait for the moment to be his for real rather than just in his mind.


	27. Chapter 26: Anticipation

Chapter 26

_Anticipation_

When Ichigo wakes up on Rukia's couch in the morning, he's a little bit disoriented. He realizes where he slept when he looks around though, and he sits up to find Rukia sitting in front of him looking very pretty in a light purple dress with pink zigzag lines on it.

"Good morning! Your dad knows you fell asleep here, I called him so that he didn't worry," Rukia tells him with a grin. She leans over and kisses him on the cheek.

"Morning." Ichigo says as he starts to stretch.

"Are you ready for the party today?" Rukia asks excitedly. Ichigo grins at her.

"Sure. Are you bringing your swimsuit?" Ichigo asks her, remembering Noriko's hot tub. Rukia grins at him.

"Of course! You should have a good hot tub experience after the wretched experience last week." Rukia tells him in a suggestive voice. Ichigo smiles at her.

"You are the very best girlfriend alive," he tells her, enjoying waking up like this rather than by his father's violent tactics.

"What should we do until it's time for dinner?" Rukia asks with a grin.

"There's a store I want to take you to that I discovered last year, they sell some really cool stuff," Ichigo tells her, remembering when he'd seen barrettes at the store that doubled as a hidden knife. (resembling a pocket knife once the blade is out) He thinks he should get her some in every color.

"Okay, want to go over to your house so you can shower and change?" Rukia asks him. Ichigo nods. He wants to kiss her but he's terrified that he has bad morning breath. She grabs her purse and walks him over to his house.

They go inside and find Yuzu wearing one of the dresses that she had gotten from the box Rukia and Ichigo had brought over the night before. It's yellow with pink vertical lines.

"Good morning! Are you hungry?" Yuzu asks the couple. Rukia grins and nods her head, and Ichigo smiles too.

"I'll be ready to eat after I get a shower," Ichigo informs Yuzu and she smiles.

"Okay, it will be ready when you come back downstairs!" Yuzu promises him.

Rukia heads up to Ichigo's room and lays in his bed while he showers. When he comes back in, with his hair dripping wet and a towel wrapped around his waist, her heart flutters at the gorgeous sight of him. Ichigo gives her a lazy grin as he watches her blatantly check him out. He starts to blush at the way her eyes turn a darker hue as she stares at his body.

Her eyes don't move away from him, even as he drops the towel and pulls out his clothes. He doesn't put anything on until he walks over and gives her a hot and sensuous kiss, and Rukia lets her hands travel all over his body which is warm from him taking a shower.

When he pulls away, he quickly starts getting dressed under the close scrutiny of Rukia. When he's fully clothed he grabs her hand and pulls her off the bed, and they head downstairs to eat breakfast.

"Where's dad?" Ichigo asks Yuzu. She shrugs.

"He left a few minutes before you got home, I'm not sure where he was headed." Yuzu tells Ichigo.

"Rukia, can you call your driver to take us to the store?" Ichigo asks her. He just doesn't want to walk anywhere today. He'll have her get her driver to take them to the party too.

J J J J

"Have you found out where the party is being held?" Aizen asks Kira on the phone. His men all arrived in Karakura town to take over for the guy he had watching Rukia previously.

"Not yet. Not like we can go ask them or anything, but we do have six guys watching the different kids house who we learned they hang out with. We'll know where it is in time to execute the plan," Kira assures him.

"Don't follow Kuchiki all day today then. Just keep an eye on the other kids. They are less likely to notice being watched. The target seems to be wary and aware of the fact that she's being watched." Aizen tells Kira as he clenches his fists in determination.

"I'll pull the men watching the kid's house out now then." Kira tells Aizen.

"What time are you going to have them storm the party?" Aizen asks him so that he can know when to expect the delivery of Kuchiki Rukia.

"We want it to be really late and dark before we enter. We also think they might be drinking booze at the party, and we think it will be better to confront them when they're well into the party. It will probably happen sometime between ten o'clock and midnight." Kira tells Aizen.

Aizen takes a deep breath. That means he'll have Kuchiki by three in the morning at the very latest, if the plan succeeded, but maybe even perhaps as early as one in the morning.

"That does sound like the wisest course of action," Aizen says with a smile in his voice. What unbelievable luck it would be if the kids were all too drunk to even consider resisting the planned attack.

"Alright, I'll put the new orders into action," Kira tells Aizen.

"Call me when you discover the location of the party. I will also want a call before you enter the party, and another call when you exit. Not on your cell phone though. When you're ten minutes from my residence, I want you to call me then as well." Aizen says. "I want constant updates, Kira." Aizen tells him in a hard and demanding voice.

"Understood. I will be certain to keep you updated," Kira tells him on the phone. Aizen grins.

"If you succeed in this, then you will have the life you have been dreaming of, for sure," Aizen tells him as a reminder to keep him focused on the final goal.

Aizen hangs up as he considers the details for the plan. The moment they have Kuchiki in the getaway car, she will be given an injection that will put her to sleep for several hours. She should arrive completely out of it, and he should have no problems getting her unclothed and restrained in his underground chamber. When Kira arrives, he will give a very detailed explanation of the account.

Aizen will ask him whether or not anybody raped her, and if they did, he'll have to hold off for a few days. He knows Kira isn't the type to rape her, but he doesn't know about Kira's men. None of them even know who exactly is behind the plot. Kira is the only one who knows the identity of the man who is trying to capture Kuchiki Rukia all for himself. Knowing that Aizen wants her, Kira might not let any of his men touch her, particularly if she's drugged. Kira may commit crimes, but he isn't a sexual deviant of any sort.

If Aizen hadn't saved him in the past, Kira would probably question him a lot more, but he never does. Aizen can depend on Kira to put the incident out of his mind once he gets his beloved job at the Tokyo Shimbun. Kira's the kind of guy who can't let himself reflect on past crimes or he starts feeling a self hatred so strong, he nearly breaks down. All he can do is put it out of mind once it's done. It's the perfect mentality for the man carrying off this job as far as Aizen is concerned.

Aizen decides that he'll order Kira to make sure none of his men rape Kuchiki so that he doesn't have to delay his plans for her anymore than he already has.

Once again he begins to fantasize about his first day with Rukia. This time he imagines what it would be like to rub his body against hers, and what expression she'll have when he runs his cock up and down the length of her body. He pictures the way she'll look when he forces her to accept him sexually.

He's already developed the greatest plan, he'll give her a very quick high voltage electrical shock and tell her she'll receive it many more times if she fights him at all. He has gathered some very strong clamps, sure to hurt if he hooks them onto her nipples, and he plans to do that to her before he has sex with her. He wants her face to be contorted into pain before he slips himself inside of her. He finds himself getting very turned on at the nature of his thoughts. The day is going to pass by very slowly for him.

He smiles when he anticipates her reaction to seeing him once she realizes the predicament she's in when she wakes up, nude and restrained. One of the first things he'll do when he gets her naked is to grab her breast the way she'd stopped him from doing in the tea house, even if she's still asleep, just because she stopped him last time. It will be the very first true step in starting to take control of the feisty little gymnast.

J J J J

Ichigo and Rukia wait for the car to pull up to take them to whatever store Ichigo has in mind. They don't have to drive very far to make it there either. When Ichigo gives Rukia a hand to help her out of the car, she instructs the driver to stay there, that they'll be out shortly before she steps out, and Ichigo feels really relaxed, like for the first time in days that they aren't being watched.

He grins as he shuts the car door, and leads her inside the store. A man with blonde hair, wearing a green and white striped hat greets them."Hello, Kurosaki-san!" Urahara sings to him as they enter the store. "Ah, who is your lovely companion?" He asks with a big smile. Ichigo scowls at him.

"My fiancé," Ichigo tells him in a serious voice.

"How wonderful that you brought her with you so that I can meet her! I am Urahara Kisuke." He tells her.

"Pleasure to meet you, my name is Kuchiki Rukia," she tells him with a shy smile.

"How may I be of assistance today?" Urahara asks them.

"I remember you had some really interesting barrettes when I was in here one day. Do you still have them?" Ichigo asks him. Urahara grins, he knows which barrettes Ichigo is talking about.

"In many designs and colors!" Urahara tells him, causing Ichigo to grin at that news.

"I was hoping you would say that." Ichigo tells him and he smiles at Rukia.

Urahara leads them over to a display case with many different kinds of barrettes. Rukia looks at Ichigo and wonders why he is specifically interested in these barrettes, since she has nicer hair accessories at home. Urahara unlocks the case.

"Here you go, let me know if you are looking for anything else," Urahara says, leaving them to look at the different barrettes.

"Check it out, Rukia." Ichigo says as he pulls a set of barrettes from the open display case. He pulls it free of the plastic it's attached to and shows her how a secret knife can come out of it. It's a perfect concealed weapon for a girl like her, in his opinion. Rukia's eyes widen when he shows her that.

"Wow," Rukia says, impressed at the secret blade. "That's pretty cool," she tells him as she studies all of the different barrettes.

"I want you to have a bunch of these, and wear them. You never know when it might come in handy." Ichigo tells her with a grin.

Rukia picks out all of the colors that she wears most frequently and then also a silver pair which will go well with her bracelet and locket. After she's picked out which ones she likes, she and Ichigo walked all around the store, checking out various items. Rukia finds something else that she wants to buy. It's a ladder that you can throw out your window to escape if ever there's a fire. Ichigo nods his agreement when she tells him she thinks it's a good idea to get one. It hooks over the window when you need it and can support more than one person at a time.

They spend quite awhile looking around and admiring what the shop has for sale, and Rukia doesn't let Ichigo buy the barrettes for her, she tells him, she'll buy them since her allowance money is more than his. Ichigo grins at her reasoning and lets her buy everything like she wants to and they take their purchases out to the car to head back to her house.

Ichigo helps Rukia carry everything into her house when they get home and she wonders what else they'll do until dinner, since it's only barely noon.

She realizes Shoko isn't home, and so she and Ichigo run up the stairs to her room so that they can make love again. She giggles as he grabs her and falls on top of her onto her bed. They kiss wildly and passionately and start pulling off their clothes in barely contained excitement.

Ichigo decides he just has to taste her, and so he immediately buries his head in between her legs once he gets her clothes completely off. Rukia lets out a loud squeal, since she doesn't have to hold back as Ichigo brings her to heaven and back with his liberal use of his tongue. When he finally come up for air, he gives her such a sensual look as she pants heavily from all of the excitement that he just gave to her.

He moves his kisses upwards, kissing her nipples in that special way that she loves so much, he rolls his tongue across and then around in circles as he listens to her soft moans of pleasure. When he kisses her neck, she wraps her arms around him and he does the same with her. She can feel his arousal against her legs and she stares into his eyes as she moves her legs apart and he settles between them.

"I want you," Rukia whispers softly, and that's all Ichigo needs to hear in order to slide into her completely.

The warmth and the pleasure that he feels when he slips inside of her is more intoxicating than coming inside after being outside in the snow all day and slipping into a hot bath, it's _that_ good.

"Rukia…" Ichigo says her name in a voice completely full of need and desire as he pulls in and out of her. Rukia sighs at the wondrous feelings rushing through her body as he makes love to her this way. She feels so full of love as she feels the way their bodies touch one another.

He ends up lasting much longer than usual this time, which makes both of them quite happy. Rukia cries out in ecstasy as his motions become more rough, and urgent. This time when he's ready to climax, he moves to pull out of her since he felt her coming to her own, but she holds him from being able to pull completely out by grabbing his butt and holding him against her with all of her strength, which is quite a bit for such a petite girl.

He releases inside of her due to her little ploy, and Ichigo rolls off of her, and she doesn't keep him in place this time. Ichigo looks at her closely. He wonders why she didn't let him pull out. It had been a really romantic and loving encounter and he doesn't really want to talk about birth control now, but he feels a need to.

"Rukia…" Ichigo says and then he trails off. Rukia looks at him and smiles.

"That felt wonderful," Rukia whispers, and Ichigo blushes.

"Yes, but why did you do that? What if you get-" Ichigo is cut off by Rukia and her big smile.

"I'm on birth control pills." Rukia whispers softly. "I have been since before we went to America. It was a request of Byakuya ni-sama." Rukia admits with a blush. Ichigo stares at her in disbelief. He can't even imagine how that conversation must have gone down.

"_Byakuya_ requested that you go on them?" Ichigo repeats, wide eyed.

"Yes. He said that he wanted me to wait but he also knew that I was in love, and he wanted me to be protected." Rukia whispers, with a blush. Ichigo find that knowledge a bit uncomfortable.

_He really goes to all lengths to protect her._

Rukia grins beautifully and looks back into his eyes.

"What?" Ichigo asks at her expression.

"Want to bathe together again?" Rukia asks with a pink face. Ichigo grins.

"Yeah." Ichigo says and they hurry to her bathroom and they enjoy a repeat rendition of the other night when they had bathed together. When they finally come out of the bathroom, it's just after two o'clock. It's still early, since they won't be leaving for dinner until half past five.

Rukia digs through her closet for one of her favorite games, and she finally locates Jenga. Ichigo watches with interest as she quickly sets up some wooden blocks into a tower and explains to him how to play.

They spend over an hour and a half playing since Ichigo likes the game once she shows him how to play. He makes the tower fall every time too. Rukia notices that Shoko is still not home and that's not like her. Rukia calls her and Ichigo listens to her side of the phone call.

When she gets off the phone, she gives Ichigo a sheepish look.

"She said she'd be home in a little while, that she was visiting with an old friend that she recently realized lived near here." Rukia explains to him, and Ichigo nods.

"Is that what you're wearing to the party?" Ichigo asks, he wonders if she'll change yet again today. She looks incredibly cute now, in her beige Capri pants and black halter top.

"I might need to put my bathing suit on underneath, but this is what I had planned to wear," she confirms, giving him a questioning look. "Do you like it?" She asks next as she twirls around in a circle. She smiles at his relieved look. He's glad she won't be changing again.

"I think you look adorable, but are you going to wear your new barrettes?" Ichigo asks next. Rukia smiles.

"I should probably get used to it. Wearing blades on my head. I'm officially bad ass!" She declares with a giggle. Ichigo follows her when she grabs the bag of barrettes and wanders back into the bathroom. Ichigo sits on the toilet and watches her mess with her hair.

He looks at her in pleasant surprise when she uses the silver and black barrettes to completely clip her hair up, it's such a different yet beautiful look on her. Little bits of her hair poke out on the top, but it looks intentional. He grins at her when she looks at him in question.

"I like it," Ichigo whispers with a smile. He stands up and then leans down to give her a kiss.

"You're full of surprises," he tells her with a grin.

"What do you mean?" Rukia asks as she looks up at him with wonder in her eyes.

"You tell me you're on the pill and you look as pretty with your hair up as you do with it down or in a ponytail," Ichigo tells her with a grin.

"I'm glad you think so," Rukia tells him as she sticks her tongue out at him playfully.

"I always think that you look pretty," Ichigo admits softly. "Even when your hair is tousled from us making out," he tells her with a small chuckle.

"Aren't you sweet," Rukia comments as she stares up at him.

"Shut up," Ichigo tells her with a smile.

"We still have time until we have to leave, and I so I think I'll just put on my bathing suit now." Rukia tells him with a grin. Ichigo just looks at her.

"Do you want me to help you?" Ichigo asks hopefully, earning a laugh from Rukia.

"Unfortunately, I think Shoko will be home any minute and so I'll have to ask you to wait on the couch while I put on my suit." Rukia tells him. Ichigo looks crestfallen.

"Maybe next time," he says hopefully, and Rukia nods.

"Definitely." She tells him and he heads downstairs and she walks into her room. She pulls out a bikini that she bought in America but has never worn in front of anyone before.

It has a high cut leg, and it's pink, purple, and blue. It runs in diagonal lines, and connecting in between her breasts of the suit is a silver loop. It has an identical silver loop on the bottom part at the top, directly in the middle and it has a few strings that fan out on the bottom and connect at the side with a smaller silver loop.

She figures Ichigo's eyes will pop out of his head when he sees her wearing this. Probably a few of the other guys eyes as well, she hopes he can handle it.

Rukia gets her halter top back on, which doesn't hide the straps of her bikini. She doesn't let herself worry about that though. When she heads downstairs, Shoko is already downstairs. She's really glad Ichigo didn't help her now. She walks into the family room where Ichigo is waiting on the couch like she told him, and she sees Shoko sitting down with him and they're talking.

"Have you noticed anything unusual lately?" Ichigo is asking her.

"No, I haven't. I've been keeping a closer eye since that last incident too." Shoko responds, and Ichigo nods. Rukia plops down next to him.

"We have a party to attend tonight, it's the one I told you about the other morning. We'll be home late," Rukia tells her. She doesn't have a true curfew on the weekends, but she's expected to be home by midnight. "I don't know what time though." Rukia tells her. Shoko nods.

"You'll be together though, right?" Shoko asks with concern. Ichigo gives her a genuine smile.

"You can count on it." He tells her with a firm voice. Shoko smiles at him.

"Then I don't have a problem with it," Shoko says, causing Ichigo and Rukia to grin at each other happily.

"Thanks!" Rukia says happily.

"Tatsuki and them are probably on their way to the party by now." Ichigo tells her. Rukia looks at her watch. It's almost half past four.

"Want to go over your house and see if we can't get everyone out the door a few minutes earlier than planned?" Rukia asks him. Ichigo nods.

"Sounds like a plan." He tells her.

"Let me call the driver and tell them to be here fifteen minutes early, just in case." Rukia tells him.

"Are we going to have him drive us to the party when we bring my family back?" Ichigo asks her. Rukia ponders for a moment and then nods her head yes.

"Normally I'd rather walk, but because of you've been uneasy, we'll just take the car." Rukia tells him, and Ichigo sighs a breath of relief. Rukia and Ichigo both say good bye to Shoko before heading over to his house.

Rukia gets on her cell phone to call the driver, Ichigo hears her request a limo and he rolls his eyes. Then Ichigo walks around to see who in his family are home. He finds his dad first, and then Yuzu, but of course Karin is out playing soccer.

"She probably won't come home until just before the planned time." Ichigo says with a sigh of frustration.

"All we can do is wait, and with her not around, we're likely not to hear any rude comments if we cuddle or kiss while we wait," Rukia tells him with a wink. Ichigo smiles instantly.

"I love the way your mind works," he tells her as he grabs her and pulls her down to the couch on his lap. He proceeds to kiss her passionately while they wait.

J J J J

"We have the location of the party," Kira tells Aizen on the phone.

"Any sign of the target?" Aizen asks next.

"Not yet. They could have arrived earlier than we did though," Kira tells him.

"Make sure nobody rapes her." Aizen tells him sternly.

"I already gave that order," Kira tells him with a bit of surprise that Aizen would tell him that.

"I figured you did, but I just wanted to make sure," Aizen tells him.

"Of course." Kira says.

"How many kids have you seen enter so far?" Aizen asks him.

"Six kids so far. Like I said though, there could be more than that in there already." Kira reminds him.

"I heard you the first time. What is the surrounding area like?" Aizen asks next.

"It looks like the kid who's throwing the party is fairly wealthy, the neighbors shouldn't notice anything in the dark. They have a bit more land than a lot of the people who live here." Kira tells him. Aizen nods and rubs his chin.

"Keep observing and call me in two hours to give me an update on the number of kids there. Make sure you're not noticed before it's time." Aizen orders.

"Understood, Aizen-sensei." Kira says, and he hears the click of the phone hanging up on the other line.

He sighs. He wishes he had never done any crimes like this. He will feel thoroughly relieved when he can put these days behind him and live a normal crime free life.

J J J J

Rukia and Ichigo stop kissing when they hear the front door open, although Rukia doesn't get off of his lap. When Karin walks in, she shoots them an immediate look of disgust.

"Yo," Karin says, only to Rukia.

"Yo," Rukia says back with a raised eyebrow.

"It's almost time to leave," Ichigo tells Karin, who scowls at him.

"I _know_, _duh_." Karin says back to him before dashing up the stairs to her room.

"She's getting damned annoying," Ichigo grumbles before he places a sizzling kiss on Rukia's neck.

"You've been saying that a lot, lately," Rukia informs him, and then she sighs at the way he's still kissing her neck.

"I can't wait to soak with you in the hot tub," Ichigo mumbles against her neck.

"I like the sound of that," Rukia whispers with a smile. Ichigo keeps kissing her neck, and Rukia turns her head to give him a bit better access. He groans his approval and kisses more of her neck as she sighs. He stops when he hears a giggle, and he looks up to see Yuzu giving them a big smile.

"Karin will be right down, and we can go!" Yuzu tells them, and Ichigo suddenly wishes he had just a few more minutes to kiss her neck.

Rukia gets out of his lap and stands, and Ichigo stands with her. They head out to the limo before everyone else so that they can sneak in another kiss, and the family trails out of the house as they're pulling apart.

"Perfect timing," Rukia whispers as everyone piles into the limo.

J J J J

Tatsuki grins as it seems Abarai Renji enjoys her company as much as she enjoys his. They've been hanging out the past couple of hours at the party, and she has barely had to worry about Orihime since she's been having a long and lively chat with Ishida who never behaves inappropriately around her. Renji and Tatsuki both have a cup of sake in their hands, but they're both still on their first cup, and drinking very slowly.

Chizuru is in the hot tub, trying to convince the other girls to skinny dip with her, but nobody wants to, and so she doesn't remove her suit. She's had quite a few drinks, not as many as Keigo, but she's getting looser at the tongue and she decides to go on a breast grabbing spree as she sneaks up on Inoue first. Tatsuki is totally distracted by Renji and so she doesn't see when Chizuru grabs Inoue firmly as she's deep in discussion with Ishida. Inoue yelps at the sudden touch and Ishida blushes.

"You feel so nice, Orihime!" Chizuru says as she squeezes Inoue's breasts a few times. She then runs off to find her next victim. Inoue blushes in embarrassment at Ishida, but he quickly gets her back on their previous subject.

Sado is sitting down next to Michiru, but they aren't talking. Keigo had offered him a beer upon his arrival, but Sado had shaken his head and reminded Keigo that he is still a minor, so he will not drink. Keigo had rolled his eyes and promised Sado to drink enough for the both of them. Michiru had shaken her head no at the offer of alcohol as well.

Noriko is smiling as she walks around from room to room and watches as people enjoy themselves. She feels really happy that she isn't all alone on a Saturday night with nobody around. She feels even happier that everyone will talk about what a great party she threw on Monday too. She sips her sake, and wonders where Keigo got off to. He's been answering the door, but everyone except for Kurosaki and Kuchiki-san has already arrived.

She walks around once more and finds Keigo refilling his cup. He's been drinking more than anybody. Noriko's about to walk over to him when Chizuru sneaks up behind her and reaches around to grabs her breasts. She's in a bikini top and Chizuru nearly rubs it off of her as she fondles her. Noriko nearly drops her cup at the shock, and she glares angrily at Chizuru as she runs off.

"Not bad Itou!" Chizuru yells before rushing off to find her next victim.

Noriko walks over to Keigo.

"How much has the lesbian had to drink?" She asks him suspiciously.

"Come on baby, it's a party! Lighten up!" Keigo says without concern.

"She just groped me." Noriko complains with her usual look of unhappiness.

"Did it turn you on? Want me to take you to the bedroom?" Keigo asks in a drunken slur, though the hope in his voice is still audible.

"Later." Noriko says, predicting he'll pass out before she has to actually keep that promise. They haven't had sex at all this week, and she's felt better about herself, being in a relationship without it being completely sexual.

Mahana and Kunieda are in the hot tub and Chizuru goes after them next. Everyone hears the girls squealing as Chizuru takes hold of their breasts.

"You're so sick!" Kunieda yells, and from the bar Noriko rolls her eyes.

"Looks like I wasn't the only victim." She tells Keigo, who grins.

"Chizuru sure is having fun," Keigo tells her. Noriko glares at him.

"I wish she hadn't come." Noriko tells him.

"I wonder if she's drunk enough to try that on Tatsuki," Keigo says, still grinning. Noriko smiles back at that. Chizuru will end up with two black eyes if she tries that with Tatsuki.

Tatsuki has been so wrapped up in talking to Renji that she hasn't noticed Chizuru's antics either. She, Mizuiro's girlfriend, and Michiru are the only girls present who haven't been groped yet. Since Tatsuki and Renji are in the same room as Sado, Michiru, and his girlfriend, Chizuru hasn't been bold enough to enter, nor is Michiru in a position where Chizuru can get a surprise grab in.

The doorbell rings and Keigo runs to the door, amazingly he doesn't stumble at all. He grins when he sees the final two party goers arrive. He holds up his glass in happiness at seeing them.

"Ichigo! You're finally here! Kuchiki-san, welcome!" Keigo's voice booms and Rukia laughs.

"We're here early, you know. It's only a quarter past seven." Rukia tells him. Keigo's eyes widen.

"Is that all?" He asks in amazement. Ichigo rolls his eyes.

"How much have you had to drink?" Ichigo asks him.

"Not nearly enough," Keigo says with a grin. "Come in!" Rukia grins.

"I want to see this notorious hot tub." She tells him with a smile. Ichigo throws his arm around her and guides her to where she wants to go. Chizuru spotted the two and has unwisely decided to make Rukia her next target. Rukia pulls her halter top off and sets it on a chair. The moment she goes to pull off her pants, she senses the presence of someone other than Ichigo entering her personal space.

Chizuru's eyes widen as when she goes to reach around Kuchiki to fondle her, Rukia's hands shoot out and grab her wrists. Rukia forces her hands downward and she lets go as she jumps back and spins around to find a drunken Chizuru standing there.

"Come here, Kuchiki-san," Chizuru says in a slurred voice. She cannot handle her alcohol very well it seems.

"Touch me and you'll regret it," Rukia warns her in a low voice. Chizuru however, doesn't take her seriously. Ichigo crosses his arms as he watches the exchange. Chizuru rushes forward with her hands out and Ichigo cringes as Rukia grabs the girl's right arm and steps aside as she pulls her forward. Chizuru lands nose first into the floor and Rukia still has her arm. She twists it back and Chizuru flinches at the pain.

"Ow!" Chizuru cries out.

"Do you want me to call for a ride home for you?" Rukia asks her softly. "Because if you keep trying to grab me, I'll break your arm." Rukia informs her. Chizuru shakes her head.

"Sorry, it won't happen again, I swear! Please don't break it!" She yells out. Rukia nods her head in satisfaction and lets the girl go.

"As long as you understand." Rukia tells her. She watches as Chizuru scampers out of the room. Mahana and Kunieda watch too, with appreciation.

"Well done, Kuchiki-san!" Kunieda says, giving her a thumbs up. Rukia grins at them.

"How is the water?" She asks.

"It's amazing!" Mahana tells her. Rukia removes her pants and Ichigo removes his clothes too. He's wearing a pair of blue swim trunks. When he gets a good look at Rukia's bikini, he hurries into the hot tub. He blushes as he hopes nobody noticed that he had gotten seriously turned on. Rukia climbs in and sinks down on his lap. She sighs in pleasure.

"I needed this," Rukia moans and everyone in the hot tub laughs.

Keigo walks in with two cups of sake for the newcomers. Ichigo and Rukia both accept and they sip slowly.

J J J J

"What's going on?" Aizen asks Kira."The target just arrived." Kira informs him.

"Then you should probably wait until later. Hopefully she'll get inebriated if you give her enough time." Aizen says. "Call me if any new developments occur or before you go in," Aizen instructs him.

"Understood," Kira replies. Aizen hangs up. He can practically taste his victory.


	28. Chapter 27: The Bash

Chapter 27

_The Bash_

"Want to go in the hot tub now?" Tatsuki asks Renji with bright eyes, and he nods yes. They wander off in the direction of the hot tub walking close together. They pass Inoue and Ishida who are having an animated discussion about sewing stuffed animals. They're both holding a cup of sake too.

When they walk in, Kunieda and Mahana are getting out, and it's Ichigo and Rukia in the tub, though she's sitting on his lap and staring only at him.

Tatsuki feels a little self conscious as she removes her clothes in front of the group. Renji is paying her no mind though since he's busy getting undressed and the couple in the tub are too busy staring at each other, so Tatsuki hurries to undress.

"Hey Renji," Rukia says as he climbs in the tub. Ichigo glances up and sees Tatsuki about to get inside the tub. Kunieda and Mahana leave the room.

"Yo, Tatsuki." Ichigo says, and she grins at him.

"You only just now noticed us?" She says with a smirk. Ichigo blushes.

"Shut up, you're as bad as my sister." Ichigo informs her, causing both Tatsuki and Rukia to laugh in amusement.

"Are you enjoying Itou's party?" Rukia asks Tatsuki.

"To my surprise, yes." Tatsuki answers with a grin.

"What about you, Renji? You having fun?" Rukia asks him. He nods. Rukia feels Ichigo's arms tighten around her and she turns her head back towards him. "Ichigo?" Rukia asks him. He gives her a questioning glance.

"What?" He asks her as he lets his hands slide across her skin underwater, unnoticed by the other occupants in the tub due to the wondrous jets in the tub.

"This is even more fun that I imagined!" Rukia tells him with a smile. Ichigo grins at her.

"I'm glad, you know I'm enjoying it." He says as he runs his hands up and down her legs.

"What do you think of tattoos?" Renji asks Tatsuki. She looks at him in surprise.

"Why do you ask?" She asks him with her eyebrows raised. She hadn't expected that.

"I've been thinking of getting some tattoos. I think they're cool." Renji tells her. "I was just wondering what you thought of them though," Renji says with a bit of a blush. Tatsuki blushes too.

"I think you could pull them off and look cool," She tells him, not meeting his gaze since she can feel herself blushing.

"Really?" He asks with a smile. "Want to come with me when I get it done?" He asks. Tatsuki's mouth drops open. _A date_?

"Sure," Tatsuki breathes, and she suddenly notices that Ichigo and Rukia are watching the pair with avid curiosity. Tatsuki blushes again. She wishes Ichigo weren't around to watch her when she makes her moves, it's embarrassing, like having your brother there watching you.

"Is something going on between them?" Ichigo whispers in Rukia's ear as he stares at the two. The noise from the hot tub is the only reason Tatsuki and Renji don't hear him.

"It sure seems like it," Rukia says very softly, with a grin. She thinks they would make a terrific couple.

"I wasn't expecting that," Ichigo says softly.

"Why are you staring at us?" Tatsuki asks in an annoyed voice. Rukia smiles sweetly at her self consciousness.

"You really want to know?" Rukia asks Tatsuki with a grin, making her squirm and blush a little. Ichigo smiles at Rukia's ploy.

"What's going on in here?" Keigo walks in and offers everyone a grin. Tatsuki feels relieved that the attention is no longer on her and Renji.

"You're so drunk," Ichigo says in a voice that implies he thinks Keigo is totally pathetic.

"None of you even have a drink in your hands!" Keigo whines. Rukia points at the shelf next to the hot tub..

"Mine's there. I've heard it's bad for you to drink while you're in a hot tub," Rukia tells him.

"We're getting out the tub soon," Ichigo tells him quickly.

"We've been in awhile, maybe we should leave Renji and Tatsuki alone," Rukia says with a smile. Ichigo returns it.

"Yeah, I think maybe you're right. We can always come back, later." Ichigo tells her. They ignore Renji and Tatsuki's furious blushing over their conversation, which they'd held in normal voices.

Keigo grins and takes a big drink of his sake as the pair get out of the tub, and his eyes widen when he gets a good gander at Rukia's very sexy bikini. Ichigo sees him noticing and glares at him. Keigo moves his gaze to Ichigo and gives him a thumbs up sign. Ichigo rolls his eyes, but he can't help but grin. Rukia grabs a towel from the stack and wraps it around her, causing Keigo's face to change to one of complete disappointment.

Ichigo grabs a towel too, and they both do their best to dry off before putting their clothes back on.

Renji and Tatsuki are having a deep discussion about tattoos when Ichigo and Rukia walk out of the room, hand in hand with their drinks in their free hand.

When they walk out, they get out just in time to see Chizuru all over Inoue. Ishida seems to have disappeared for the moment, and Inoue looks uncomfortable but she isn't pushing the forward girl away. Rukia wonders why Inoue doesn't shove her off if she's so obviously uncomfortable.

"Orihime, we should get in the hot tub together!" Chizuru sings as she rubs Inoue's breasts in a very large circular motion as she squeezes them repeatedly. Mizuiro seems to be finding the scene very humorous as he leans up against his girlfriend. He can't stop laughing. His girlfriend laughs too, although she hopes the girl doesn't try that on her.

"If you stop, I'll get in!" Inoue cries out. Chizuru is off of her in a second and Ichigo grins, as he watches Inoue take a big sip of her sake.

"She's going to be in for a big disappointment when she sees Tatsuki in there." Ichigo whispers to Rukia who laughs.

"Want to watch?" Rukia whispers with a grin.

"Nah, I'm going to be right back." Ichigo tells her. Rukia nods. She decides to sit down with Sado and Michiru. They sit in silence, but it isn't an uncomfortable silence. Rukia rolls her eyes at Chizuru who hasn't let up.

"Come on, I'll help you undress, Orihime!" Chizuru says excitedly as she grabs Inoue's hand. She drags her out of the room towards the hot tub, and Inoue looks very relieved to see Tatsuki and Renji in there.

"Tatsuki-chan!" Inoue says, her voice showing her relief. Tatsuki looks up.

"Orihime! You getting in?" Tatsuki asks, and Inoue nods her head yes. Tatsuki turns her attention back to Renji to see if he pays attention to her or her best friend as she undresses.

Renji notices Tatsuki's attention and decides to focus on her. Chizuru notices all of this and smiles. She quickly undresses and gets in the tub. Ishida pokes his head in and his eyes widen at the sight of Inoue in a bikini. He immediately walks into the room to join them.

Renji looks around at all of the new people joining and he suddenly wants to get away. He thinks he understands why Ichigo and Rukia left a few minutes ago.

"I'm ready to get out, how about you?" Renji asks her. Tatsuki grins and nods her head yes. Inoue is relieved that Ishida has joined her in the room since it looks like Tatsuki is leaving.

"Are you getting in, Ishida-kun?" Inoue asks him hopefully.

"Yeah, I'll join, but I didn't wear my trunks here, they're in my bag. I'll get them and be right back." He tells her. Renji stands up in the tub and starts to get out and Tatsuki stands after him.

Inoue hopes Ishida makes it back before Tatsuki leaves the room, because Chizuru looks ready to pounce the moment Tatsuki goes.

Renji and Tatsuki leave before Ishida makes it back and Inoue is surprised when Chizuru unties her bikini top from the back and then pushes the material away to get a real good feel, hand to skin. Inoue squawks and Ishida enters the room in time to catch a good view of Inoue topless and Chizuru immediately lets go at the shocked expression on Ishida's face.

He tries not to stare at Inoue's huge boobs, but it's hard _not_ to stare when they're all exposed. Inoue is blushing and quickly pushing the material back into place as she ties the top back on.

"Ishida-kun!" Inoue says, pretending nothing just happened. Chizuru looks disappointed but she stays next to Inoue as Ishida climbs in.

Keigo pops in and sees Inoue in the tub. He decides to climb in for a bit with the group, and Noriko comes in a short while later.

They all sit together chatting for about ten minutes.

"I want to go find Tatsuki." Inoue says to Ishida. He nods.

"I'm ready to get out too." Ishida tells her. Chizuru is quick to follow. Inoue dries off quickly and dresses fairly quickly too. Ishida just wraps a towel around his waist for the time being and Inoue suddenly realizes he's very well built.

Ishida blushes when he sees her gaze linger on his chest, as Chizuru puts a big tee-shirt on. She had brought it for when her suit was still too wet for her clothes.

They all head out and find Rukia and Ichigo lip locking in the hallway. They blush and pull away when they hear the others enter the hall. Inoue feels a stab of jealousy at how Kurosaki-kun's arms are draped around the shorter dark haired girl, and she tries to ignore it. She heads off to get another cup of sake.

"We got caught," Ichigo whispers into her ear, not really sounding all that sorry at that fact.

"Whoops." Rukia says back, blushing. "We were kind of careless," she tells him with a blush.

"Come on, lets go hang out with the others," Ichigo tells her as he pulls her towards everyone else.

"Okay." Rukia tells him and she lets him pull her into Itou's family room where most of the partygoers are gathered.

Ichigo heads over to grab some sake, and he notices that Sado is actually participating in a conversation with Michiru, which downright shocks him, since she is one of the quietest girls he knows, and Sado is the quietest guy he knows.

Rukia doesn't notice Kunieda come up behind her and she jumps in surprise when Kunieda speaks.

"That is such a cute toe ring! Where did you get it?" She asks.

Ichigo blushes and takes a drink of his sake. Rukia blushes too as she spins around to face Kunieda. She pauses before she answers.

"It was a gift from Ichigo," Rukia answers softly.

"And the locket?" Kunieda asks, pointing. She's the first to ever notice it of all of the people Ichigo hangs out around.

"It was a gift from Ichigo as well." Rukia says.

"Wow," Mahana says, coming up behind Kunieda. "Every piece of jewelry that you wear was a gift from him," She says as she takes a sip of sake.

"You're right," Rukia says, smiling. "I own other jewelry, but I like to wear the ones that mean the most to me." Rukia tells her, and Mahana grins.

"I have to admit, I was doubtful about everything when Kurosaki mentioned he was engaged last winter, but now that I've seen you together, I can't picture him with anyone else," She says grinning. Kunieda grins too.

"I agree." Kunieda tells them. The pair blush a little harder.

"Especially after seeing how efficiently you shut down Chizuru…you actually took on his attitude when you were dealing with her." Mahana says, still smiling. She's still a little annoyed that Chizuru groped her so thoroughly in the hot tub earlier. It was more disturbing that Chizuru had laughed so openly and had moaned what a great rack she had.

"Is she always like that?" Rukia asks quietly, since Chizuru is in the room staring hungrily at Inoue's bosom.

"Always." Mahana confirms before taking another sip of sake.

"Inoue has it the worst," Ichigo tells Rukia from behind. His blush is fading away.

"Why doesn't she shove her off?" Rukia asks in complete confusion. Chizuru was taking way too many liberties.

"Usually Tatsuki does it for her, and Inoue's too nice to hurt someone she considers a friend." Kunieda explains.

"I see." Rukia says, even though she really doesn't. Friend or not, Chizuru was crossing some boundaries in the way she freely touches any girl in sight.

"We don't really get it either," Kunieda says, grinning at Rukia. She could tell that Rukia just didn't get it.

"More importantly, what's up with your friend over there, he and Tatsuki haven't left each other's sides all evening long." Mahana says, letting her gaze trail to the pair.

Ichigo and Rukia exchange glances. They remember when they were the ones being wondered about, and they feel a bit bad for Renji and Tatsuki, but not bad enough not to discuss it.

"He's a good guy. I hope they get together, I think they'd look good together." Rukia tells the girls, and they smile.

"She's so into him, look how she leans towards him when they talk," Kunieda says softly to them all.

"There's something there alright," Rukia says with a grin.

"Never thought I'd see the day when Tatsuki wanted to shopping for something cute," Ichigo mutters, and both Mahana and Kunieda laugh.

"She does look cute though," Mahana says, admiring Tatsuki's cargo pants. They fit her perfectly, and the hunter green halter top she's wearing suits her too. She's wearing a choker that matches her halter top and her hair looks a bit more styled than usual.

"Renji seems transfixed," Rukia says with a smile. Ichigo sips his sake and smiles at Rukia getting along with the girls. He likes to see her smiling so happily, and he's glad that she wears the gifts that he's gotten her. Even if it does cause embarrassment when other people notice.

"Did you notice Sado and Michiru were talking?" Mahana asks Kunieda. Ichigo and Rukia use this break to slip away from them. It's gotten a bit too gossipy for them.

They wander past Inoue who seems a bit drunk as she giggles at whatever Ishida just said.

Inoue jumps up when they walk by, and cuts short her conversation with Ishida. She beams at Ichigo and then gives Rukia an obligatory nod of acknowledgement before she speaks to Ichigo.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue says as she jumps up in front of him. Ishida pushes up his glasses at the shock of being so suddenly ignored in the middle of a conversation.

"What?" Ichigo asks her in a bit of a surprise. He hadn't expected her to stop them.

"Are you two going back to the hot tub?" Inoue asks hopefully.

"No, we were going to sit over there," Rukia says, pointing at a couch about two meters away from where Inoue was sitting with Ishida. Inoue smiles at them and then looks back at Ishida.

"I'll be right back!" She tells him. She needs to run to the girls room.

"I'll come with you!" Chizuru says excitedly. Ichigo and Rukia roll their eyes as Chizuru chases after Inoue.

"Should I go save her since Tatsuki is busy?" Rukia asks him. He shakes his head.

"She's going to have to learn to stand up for herself sooner or later." Ichigo tells her. Ishida glares up at them.

"Good evening, Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san." Ishida says with a bit of contempt in his voice. The pair look at him in surprise at his obvious tone of disapproval.

"Hi, Ishida-kun" Rukia answers him, wondering what his problem is.

"Yo." Ichigo says in a low voice. He wonders what the hell this uptight kid's problem is anyways.

"We were just going to sit down," Rukia tells him, and Ishida nods. Rukia realizes she has to use the restroom and so she tells Ichigo. He nods as she walks off to find the bathroom, where Chizuru has pinned Inoue to the door once she had used the facilities. She's rubbing her chest against Inoue's and rubbing her cheek against Inoue's.

Inoue's a bit drunk and she's just laughing since Chizuru isn't grabbing her. When Chizuru kisses Inoue, that's when Rukia knocks on the door. Chizuru glares at it with annoyance.

"Go away, we're busy in here!" She calls out.

"Take your business elsewhere, I need to use that room!" Rukia calls out. Chizuru's face darkens a bit at the sound of Kuchiki-san's voice. She really doesn't want a broken arm.

Chizuru grabs Inoue's arm and pulls her out of the bathroom. Rukia moves out of the way as Chizuru drags Inoue away from the rest of the party goers into the hot tub room. Rukia wonders once again why Inoue doesn't shove the other girl off of her or away from her when she watches them disappear around the corner.

She didn't come here to interfere, Ichigo is right. Inoue needs to stand up to her friend on her own. Rukia can't get rid of the nagging worry that she's making the wrong decision not to drag Inoue back to Ishida. Inoue appeared a bit to intoxicated by alcohol to completely comprehend what was going on around her.

Rukia uses the bathroom and peers into the hot tub room before heading back to Ichigo. When she peeks in, she sees Chizuru all over Inoue, and it appears they're both topless, although Inoue is turning her face away from Chizuru who appears to be trying to kiss her.

Rukia's eyes pop open wide as she realizes Chizuru is fondling Inoue yet again tonight. Inoue finally seems to realize it and starts attempting to cover her chest with her own arms but that seems to excite Chizuru who starts wrestling her arms away from her chest while she giggles. Rukia can't hear Inoue giggling though. Once again, she wonders if she should interfere.

"Damn, I want to watch too," Keigo says suddenly, and Rukia notices he's on the other side of the door looking in. Rukia blushes at his implication that she was somehow enjoying this scene.

"I was making sure Inoue didn't need to be saved, what's your excuse?" Rukia whispers at him.

"I love a great rack, what can I say?" Keigo whispers back, never taking his eyes off of the girls in the hot tub.

"Chizuru, stop it!" Inoue shoves the girl off of her as she seems to be completely lucid all of a sudden. Rukia and Keigo head back for the party, since Inoue had taken care of the situation before it got out of hand.

Rukia joins Ichigo on the couch and he grins at her.

"You took awhile," he tells her."I had to check on Inoue, she was really drunk." Rukia tells him, and he rolls his eyes. She is still giving him a little smile though, and so he thinks he can hear whatever she has to tell him.

"Inoue took care of it herself, I was really glad." Rukia tells him. Ichigo nods. He figured it would happen sooner or later.

Tatsuki and Renji are both filling their sake glasses and having a deep conversation. Rukia notices and looks back at Ichigo.

"I think your childhood friend and my childhood friend might hook up." Rukia tells him, grinning. Ichigo glances at the pair.

"You're probably right." He tells her, grinning. He takes a sip of his sake and then admires how she looks, with all of her silver jewelry standing out. She really does seem to love the gifts that he buys for her, and he finds himself pleased by this.

Rukia notices Ishida standing and she realizes Inoue hasn't gotten back yet. She wonders if Chizuru got her back into her clutches after Inoue escaped the hot tub. Rukia bites her lip as Ishida disappears in the direction of the room with the hot tub and the bathrooms.

Ichigo seems to have noticed the situation too, and they both wait avidly for Ishida to come back, and when he does, he looks nervous. He walks up to Rukia since he hopes she saw Inoue exit the bathroom.

"I can't find Inoue-san anywhere! Do you know where she is?" Ishida asks a bit frantically. Rukia blushes. She doesn't want to tell him that the last time she saw Inoue it was in the hot tub with Chizuru and they were both topless.

"Did you check the room with the hot tub?" Rukia asks quietly. Ishida nods in concern.

"She's not there or in the bathroom!" Ishida says. Tatsuki seems to have overheard the conversation, so she and Renji both walk over.

"You can't find Orihime?" Tatsuki asks, worried. She glances around and her eyes narrow suspiciously when she notices that Chizuru is absent as well. "We should look for her." Tatsuki says, and Noriko appears next with Keigo.

"Who's missing?" She asks.

"Inoue-san." Ishida tells her. Noriko nods. She decides she doesn't want them all searching through her home without her being present.

"I'll help you find her." Noriko tells them. Keigo gets a look of anticipation on his face.

"We'll _both_ help." Keigo says, hoping the girls are back in action. Rukia and Ichigo decide to go with Ishida, Tatsuki, Renji, Noriko, and Keigo to hunt down Inoue and Chizuru. Everyone walks into the room with the hot tub, and they don't see them there, and so they head towards the bathroom. Chizuru and Inoue aren't in there either.

"Where did they go?" Tatsuki asks in a tight voice.

"The bedroom maybe?" Keigo says with his eyes lit up. Noriko elbows him in the gut and the air rushes out of him quickly at that. Rukia and Ichigo grin at each other. Maybe Noriko and Keigo can actually last.

"I will pound her into the ground if they're in the bedroom!" Tatsuki hisses. Noriko leads them to a bedroom and they open the door. No sign of Inoue and Chizuru.

"How many bedrooms do we have to check?" Renji asks Noriko.

"Four." She tells him. She walks them to her own bedroom and opens the door. To her relief, there is no sign of them in there either. She walks to the second guest bedroom and opens the door, but it's empty as well.

"They're not in here either?" Tatsuki asks in an annoyed voice.

"They had better not be in my mom and dad's bedroom!" Noriko says in a worried voice. She hurries to the next door which has a sign posted on it.

_No Entry Allowed, Off Limits!_

Ichigo rolls his eyes. He's willing to bet his left arm that they're in here. Noriko opens the door and the scene that greets them shocks them all. Inoue is dressed, which surprises Keigo and Rukia, but the most surprising thing is that as the door had opened, Chizuru appears to be trying to hug Inoue, and Inoue's pushing her away, and then Inoue gets sick all over Chizuru's front, which is exposed.

Tatsuki smirks as Chizuru screams in horror.

"I tried to tell you but you wouldn't listen!" Inoue says in a choked voice. She runs past the group towards the bathroom and Tatsuki has lost all desire to punch Chizuru now that she's covered in vomit.

"You probably got what you deserved," Tatsuki says, glaring at her.

"What were you doing in here anyways? Didn't you see the sign? Get out of my mom and dad's room!" Itou shouts at the disruptive girl.

Chizuru runs out and in the same direction as Inoue, although not for perverted purposes this time. She desperately needs a shower now that she's rancid. Rukia starts to laugh, and it becomes contagious. Soon all of the group is laughing.

"She definitely had that coming." Rukia tells them, and Tatsuki feels a bit bad that she hadn't noticed Chizuru's antics earlier, and also that she hadn't noticed how much Inoue had to drink.

They all file down the hallway where Inoue exits the bathroom looking embarrassed."Inoue-san, are you okay?" Ishida asks with a look of concern in his eyes.

"I feel much better now, thanks Ishida-kun." Inoue says weakly.

"Would you like a piece of gum?" Ishida asks as he fishes a pack out of his pocket. He always comes prepared. Inoue looks so happy, he smiles. Tatsuki grins as it seems her best friend is alright and so she and Renji make their way back to the main area of the party. Rukia glances at Ichigo.

"Nobody was in the hot tub." She whispers, and Ichigo grins.

"You're right," he tells her, and they head for the hot tub.

Keigo looks at Noriko.

"Want to go to your room?" He asks suggestively. Noriko sighs, he's so persistent.

"Later." She tells him, surprised he isn't as sick as Inoue, considering how much he's had to drink. She walks back towards the main room as well. It seems Kunieda, Mahana, and Michiru are playing a game of twister and Sado is spinning for them.

Rukia and Ichigo both get into the hot tub and start kissing. Rukia sits on his lap with her legs wrapped around his waist, and he has his arms wrapped around her back. The water bubbles all around them in a relaxing and sensual fashion as they get lost deeper and deeper in their kiss.

She can feel his stiffness pressing up against her leg while they kiss, and she reaches down to take hold of him. He lets out a pleased moan when she does, and he kisses her even more deeply. After a minute he pulls away so that she can look into his eyes which are screaming his desire out loud and clear.

"I want you so bad," He tells her in a low sexy voice. "You get me hot in no time at all," he says, before he sucks on her lip and then starts kissing her again. She knows no matter how bad he wants her, he won't do anything here. It would be too easy to get walked in on.

"I love you," Rukia gasps when he finally pulls his lips away from hers to catch his own breath. She keeps rubbing him where he's hard and he's breathing hard as a result of that and their kissing.

"I love you, but you have to stop, or I'll bring _it_ out and push your bikini bottom aside to do you right here." Ichigo warns her, and Rukia pulls her hand away and blushes. They sit there together and Ichigo resumes kissing her.

They stay in the hot tub just making out like that for about ten minutes before they both start feeling a bit too heated. They get out and wrap up in towels as they sit down together.

"Ichigo?" Rukia asks him. He looks at her and grins.

"What?" He asks, his face showing his good mood.

"What are we going to tell your friends when they ask us how we met and got engaged? It's bound to come up sooner or later, and frankly I'm shocked that it hasn't already." Rukia tells him. Ichigo blushes.

"Tell them that we'll tell the story at our wedding and if they really want to know, they have to come attend." Ichigo says, smiling at his brilliance.

"Uh huh, and what if that doesn't work?" Rukia asks him, seriously.

"I don't know. I do not even want to see all of their expressions when they find out that information. I'm sure we'll never hear the end of it. It's too cute of a story for the likes of me," Ichigo tells her, still pink.

"I'm not exactly comfortable revealing that either, it's always been private information." Rukia tells him with a blush of her own.

"I say we don't worry about it unless it actually happens." Ichigo says, not wanting anybody to walk in and overhear them, making it a reality. Rukia realizes this isn't the best place to have this discussion and so she lets it go, but not without a comment of her own to follow. She can't help but notice how gorgeous he looks when he sits there looking at her intently like he is now.

"Okay, but when it actually happens, you might find yourself feeling differently." Rukia tells him with a look. Ichigo grins at her. Rukia thinks he has the sexiest grin in all of Japan.

"You're right, we'll talk about it in private when nobody can overhear us." He tells her with a grin. "Will that make you happy?" He wonders as he stares into her eyes and notices the adoring look that she's giving him.

"Yes." Rukia says, smiling back at him.

She grabs her halter top and puts it on. Her Capri pants follow, and she sits back down and rubs the towel over her hair. Ichigo dresses and when he's done, he pulls her into his arms for another kiss.

J J J J

"We're going in, within ten minutes of me hanging up with you. I'll be waiting in the car, and we'll tear away as soon as the girl is deposited inside." Kira tells Aizen on the pay phone while he sticks his payphone payment card back in his pocket.

"Excellent. Call me when you have her." Aizen tells him before hanging up.

He can only hear his heart pounding loudly in his ears at the prospect of what the next several hours will bring him. He feels strangely optimistic. These kids have most likely been drinking alcohol, and it will seem like a swat team has swarmed down on them when all of those men go busting into the house.

He refuses to touch himself. He wants the next touch of excitement to be from Rukia's direct presence. Not just thoughts of her. He leans back and counts down the minutes until when the men should be busting down the door of the teens highly illegal drinking party. He'll die of shock if Kira comes back and tells him they weren't drinking. Teens are notorious for drinking like morons before they're actually legal.

Aizen takes a deep breath as he tries to calm his nerves. He'll be infinitely more happy when he receives the call from Kira that he has the girl.

J J J J

Tatsuki and Renji blush as they have gotten into a game of twister with Kunieda and Mahana. They had banned Chizuru from being allowed to play, since she would enjoy it in a disgusting way. Michiru is sitting next to Sado, and they're taking turns spinning the wheel for the game.

Nobody has seen Ichigo or Rukia for about a half hour, but everyone is in a good mood and feeling lively.

Keigo has a squirming Noriko in his lap as he slobbers all over her neck. Noriko is silently congratulating herself on throwing such a great party, since it seems everyone is having fun.

Ishida has been helping Inoue by getting her water and has gotten her some food to help soak up some of the alcohol in her stomach. She's still pretty drunk, but she's not sick anymore at least. She actually looks kind of sleepy, and Ishida's heart is racing at the prospect that maybe she'll lean or lay on him when she wants to nod off.

Chizuru had showered and then had raided Noriko's closet for something to wear. She was currently in a skirt and blouse free of vomit. She's watching Inoue avidly, since Tatsuki's a bit involved in her game, but she's seated away from Inoue and Ishida and is checking Inoue out from afar. She's moving her head to the beat of the music playing in the room, giving the party a fun and light atmosphere.

Mizuiro has disappeared with his girlfriend, probably to a guest bedroom, which nobody really cares to think about.

Inoue glances up when Kuchiki-san and Ichigo walk into the room, after having been absent for so long, and it's obvious that they were hitting up the hot tub together. Their clothes give them away, they both have the look of people who had gone swimming and had dressed before completely drying off. Inoue notices once again how Kurosaki-kun looks at her in a special way that she'd never seen before Kuchiki-san came to town.

It's an unexpected shock when the door is suddenly kicked open loudly and men dressed all in black all rush into the room. The teens eyes all widen in shock as the party seems to more than double as many men run into the room. Some of the men are very large, but none are actually larger than Sado. They quickly look around the room at the shocked faces and they all seem to focus on only two teenagers in the group. Rukia has a strange sensation of déjà vu at the whole experience, and that realization shocks her as much as the men who have entered the room.

"Everybody freeze!" One man yells in a very loud voice.

Rukia and Ichigo stare in total shock at the gang of men who have entered the room, and Rukia feels Ichigo tense up immediately, and he quickly pushes her behind him. It had only taken him a second to actually react. Renji tries to push Tatsuki behind him, but she shoves his arm away before he can get her behind him and stands directly next to him, muscles stiff.

Sado jumps up in front of Michiru, and pulls Mahana and Kunieda by their arms behind him as well. He starts backing them towards Ichigo and Rukia, and the safety of the hallway. Ishida stands in front of Inoue and Chizuru quickly darts over to the safety behind Sado with most of the other girls. Keigo and Noriko stay put, completely in shock as they try to contemplate what on earth just happened.

The majority of the men start in the direction of Rukia and Ichigo and Noriko's eyes widen in terror. Noriko can't move a muscle, she's frozen in fear.

_This cannot actually be happening, no fucking way!_


	29. Chapter 28: The Brawl

Chapter 28

_The Brawl_

Rukia lets Ichigo stand in front of her protectively for the moment, since she wants to give him back up, but the first two guys who head for Ichigo end up being greeted by Tatsuki and Renji, and Sado quickly rushes the three girls by Ichigo and Ichigo quickly lets them around him and they run down the hall, away from the commotion.

Rukia hears herself breathing hard, and she can feel the adrenaline pumping throughout her entire body. She concentrates on channeling it so that it will be most effective when she's forced to strike. With this many men in the room, it's going to be necessary for her to pull her own weight, and help Ichigo.

Ichigo feels his chest tighten. _No way in hell are any of these guys going to hurt Rukia._ He'd kill one of them before he'd allow that to happen.

Ichigo's eyes narrow and he feels grateful that his best friend Sado is there. Sado seems like he's made of iron more than of regular flesh and bones. He can take a beating like nobody's business and he can knock an opponent into dreamland using just a smidgeon of his strength.

Ichigo is grateful for Renji and Tatsuki's presence too. Between all of them, they should be able to turn the odds in their own favor, dangerous as that endeavor may currently seem. Ichigo knows Rukia can handle herself but he has no doubts about his gut instincts, and his instincts are telling him that once again, Rukia is the target of an abduction.

_Hell will freeze over before any piece of shit can take her away from me._ Ichigo's never been more ready to fight in his life.

Sado immediately turns and stands a few steps in front of Ichigo as the other men creep in, a bit more slowly, which may have been a small mistake, because Renji and Tatsuki don't need much time to finish the men they had engaged in a fight. Renji chokes his opponent almost instantly, and Tatsuki jammed her foot into her opponent's groin and then punches him square in the nose as he doubles over. He's writhing on the floor in mind shattering pain, clutching at his crotch.

The other men decide to close in together, and complete pandemonium fills the room. Sado knocks out the first guy to come with one punch One guy had dodged around him and uses his brass knuckles to deck Sado in the head, since he's obviously a threat. Sado takes the hit and turns his head to look at his opponent calmly.

"Was that supposed to hurt?" Sado asks softly in a deep voice before punching him into the wall, making a hole there from the force at which his head hit the wall. "It didn't hurt at all."

Inoue sees one man heading for Kurosaki-kun and in her drunken state, she flips her leg out in an effective side kick, sending the man flying into the floor. She falls back onto the couch from the impact and her lack of balance, and Ishida moves directly in front of her once more.

Three men have made it through the shield of the other students due to the large number of men who helped them get through, and Ichigo lands a wicked right hook to one man's temple and he falls to the floor instantly. Ichigo immediately flows into a kicking combo and he easily takes care of the other two men in front of him.

The man Inoue kicked stands back up and decides he wants to punish her for attacking him. He rushes at her, completely ignoring the ridiculously skinny kid standing in front of her. He's completely focused on the obviously drunk girl who had interfered with his intentions.

Ishida yanks his house keys out of his pocket and punches, aiming for the guy's eyes as he charges. His aim is true, and the man screams as blood pours out of his right eye at the contact. His scream makes several people in the room cringe, due to the obvious pain heard in it.

When Ishida yanks the keys back away, the right eyeball comes out stuck onto his key, and Inoue starts screaming and gagging at that gruesome sight. Ishida looks a bit pale at the sight as well. He has a sick feeling in his stomach. He's never seen an eyeball out of its socket by force like that before. It's a lot larger than he had imagined in his head.

He does feel like he was useful though, and that makes him feel a little bit better. He drops his keys when he can't look at the eyeball a second longer.

Renji and Tatsuki have both downed two more opponents, but the men who invaded had come in numbers, and when two men engage Ichigo at the same time, a third man dives towards Rukia and gets a good grip on the material of her halter top. Swear words are being muttered and yelled all over the place as the scuffle ensues.

Rukia immediately grabs the arm holding her with her hands and quickly gains control of one of his fingers. She jerks it back the opposite way in which it should go so quickly, and the man lets out a frightening scream. Rukia thinks he sounds like a little girl, and then she calmly proceeds to break his wrist as he screams. The angry look in her eyes is blurry to the man she's hurting since he's in so much pain, tears are blinding his sight. He keeps up his blood curdling scream as he hears bones snapping at the pressure she's applying.

This instantly gains Ichigo's attention and he brings his fist down in an unforgiving hit onto the back of the offender's head. Then he realizes that it was not Rukia who had been screaming. He shouldn't have been surprised. He turns his attention completely to the rest of the gang in the room.

Sado has just sent one man flying across the room, and Ishida ends up confronting a man who gets too close to he and Inoue in the attempt to get to Kurosaki or Kuchiki. Ishida isn't sure yet who their target actually is, since both seem to be getting the main focus of the intruders. Ishida manages to land an effective hit in the man's crotch, sending him crawling away to recover.

The man that Tatsuki had first brought down comes to his senses and stumbles to his feet. He glares at the girl who took him down and whips a knife from his belt. Renji notices him and punches him in the neck before he can swing his knife near Tatsuki.

The remaining five men, still standing, rush at Ichigo and Rukia, and they side step Tatsuki, Renji, and Sado, causing the three of them to run towards Ichigo and Rukia as well.

Rukia sees something shiny flying right at Ichigo and she reacts without thinking. She kicks Ichigo's feet out from under him, sending him flying to the floor and the knife is now flying straight at her.

Ichigo who had landed on his back, stares up in horror as he can see the knife coming straight for Rukia and without hesitation he brings his foot up into the air to meet the wrist holding the knife and he watches as the knife flies harmlessly to the side, but now all he can see is red. A few men who were knocked down or out are starting to wake up and are ready for retaliation.

Ichigo lets out an angry yell, and he bounds up to his feet quickly, using his palm to push Rukia completely out of the room. He isn't sure he'll be able to keep his calm for a whole heck of a lot longer. He cannot stand the way these men keep coming relentlessly for Rukia. He'll stop anyone from hurting her. He doesn't look at her but he talks to her.

"Fuck! Stay back, I'm going to tear these mother fuckers apart, they won't know _what_ fucking hit them," Ichigo growls. Rukia takes a quick step back, as does Tatsuki. She rushes over to stand next to Rukia.

Ichigo, Sado, and Renji form a three man roadblock between the intruders and the two girls. The men seem to think they can still out power the kids, and several more have regained their feet. They creep towards the teens in a group, sensing that they'll have strength in numbers against the three blocking them from their target.

"Give up," Renji tells them in an angry voice.

"Persistent mother fuckers." Ichigo growls next.

"Ah." Sado says, concentrating on the remaining opponents.

Several of the men are brandishing hidden weapons that they hadn't thought necessary on their first attack, and Rukia feels true concern for Ichigo's safety and welfare. She suddenly remembers she has hidden blades of her own. She wishes she had remembered that a bit sooner.

_He's only in danger because of me, I have to help him if I can! I won't let him get hurt because of me!_

Tatsuki is looking incredibly nervous next to her as she has noticed the increase in weapons. She clenches her fists in dismay. Rukia starts pulling barrettes out of her hair.

Ishida is still standing guard in front of Inoue, though none of the intruders seem focused on them. Noriko is crying on Keigo's shoulder and he's got his eyes closed with tears running down his face and is chanting about how he doesn't want to die.

Noriko suddenly smells something disgusting, as though someone defecated in their pants. Keigo is too busy panicking to notice that he's shit himself. Noriko can finally move. She jumps away from him and gives him a look of disgust.

"Nasty!" She tells him, even though he's in a mental terror so strong and mind numbing that he doesn't hear her. Noriko can't even believe what in the hell is happening in front of her face. Nobody is paying any attention to the two of them though. Noriko stares avidly at the commotion near the hallway. For her it's like an impossible nightmare come true.

Rukia opens up the blade on one barrette and offers it to Tatsuki whose eyes widen at the sight of it. Rukia wonders if Ichigo's idea of blades in the barrette will come in handy. She hopes so. Just knowing she has them makes her feel better for some reason. Trust Ichigo to put more power in her hands when she's feeling powerless.

"Kuchiki-san?" Tatsuki asks, but her voice is drowned out by another brawl breaking out directly in front of them.

Rukia pulls a second barrette out of her hair and the girls watch as the guys start beating down the remaining men who have yet to be attacked, or who have recovered from being attacked once already and have stood up for more. Rukia watches to see if she's needed at all. She flips the blade out on the second barrette with more speed than she had done with the first. Her hair looks funny now, but that doesn't matter at a time like this.

Tatsuki watches in amazement when Renji breaks one man's arm, and then punches him in the face. The man lands on his back, holding his arm and shouting in pain. Tatsuki can hardly believe how completely amazing he is, particularly in the midst of a heated battle.

Rukia watches wide eyed as Ichigo tears through four men in about six seconds. His arms and feet are shooting out everywhere, catching opponents in places that hurt, their faces, their necks, their groins and their guts. The loud satisfying groans of pain that comes from the felled men greatly pleases Rukia's ears.

She feels a rush of relief at the fact that the tide of the fight seems to have swung into their favor.

_Thanks for always protecting me, Ichigo._

A few of the men who entered are now so injured that they're crawling towards the open door as quickly as they are able to escape the highly violent teenagers they've had the misfortune of encountering tonight.

Ichigo's fist hits one opponent in the neck and he flies towards the door knocked completely out.

J J J J

Kira's eyes widen in amazement when he sees several of his men crawling out of the house, seriously injured and struggling. Kira gets out of his car and starts helping the men to the safety of the getaway vehicles.

"What in the hell happened in there?" Kira asks with dread.

"Those are no normal kids," one man says before he passes out. Kira glances at the house and watches as a couple more men stumble out. He looks at another man.

"What in the hell, happened? Fuck!" Kira says, wishing this weren't happening. One girl is all he has to capture to be done with this scary unsatisfying life of crime.

"A bunch of the kids fought back. They were _really _strong," the man answers with a pained groan. He isn't even exactly sure what happened. One minute he was attacking, and the next he'd been waking up after getting knocked unconscious.

Another two men come out, and Kira's eyes widen in horror when he realizes one man is missing his right eyeball, and has blood pouring from where his eye should be. They're supposed to be fucking _kids_!

"Damn it! Fuck! Holy fucking shit!" Kira is a lot louder than he should be at a time like this. He runs over to help a couple of others who are stumbling down the front lawn as though they're seeing stars.

As a result of the kicked in door, he can hear the sounds of the fight continuing inside. He's already recovered seven of his men. He is starting to wonder if they've attempted an impossible feat in trying to take Kuchiki Rukia by brute force.

_What in the hell kind of kids are inside to do this much damage to my men?!_

J J J J

Rukia's eyes widen as she realizes the amount of intruders has been drastically reduced thanks to the three teens barricading the hallway that contains Rukia, Tatsuki, and further away most of the other guests of the party.

She watches in amazement as Ichigo slams his elbow into one guy's face, sending him flying back about four meters. He's immediately focused on another guy who he ends up kicking in the face as the man tries to charge him. The man crumbles to the ground with a lingering moan of pain.

The man quickly crawls out. Renji has one man in an shoulder lock and Tatsuki watches as he mercilessly dislocates his opponent's shoulder sending the man to the ground crying like a girl. When there are only three men left standing in the room, they rush out of the house in complete fear of being seriously hurt, and they forget one of their buddies. A guy that Sado had punched so hard they thought he might be dead.

Noriko stares at the fucked door as all but one of the intruders has left.

"My _party_! My _house_! My parents are going to _kill_ me!" Noriko wails. Keigo suddenly realizes he shit himself and runs off embarrassed to the max, to go clean himself up.

Rukia nods in relief at the fact that it's all over. She lets the rest of her hair down and pockets the spare barrettes. Tatsuki hands her back the barrette that Rukia had handed her too. Rukia keeps one barrette with the blade out in her hand.

Everyone else in the room looks down at the unconscious man and Ichigo squats to feel if he has a pulse.

"This son of a bitch is still alive," Ichigo tells them. "That's fucking great because I have so many questions for this piece of shit." Ichigo finishes, and Renji nods his head in agreement.

"I want to wash my hands, is there another bathroom I can use?" Renji asks Noriko. She nods and stands slowly to show him the way.

When Renji reaches the bathroom, he pulls out his cell phone to call Kuchiki Byakuya and find out if there are any specific questions that he should be asking this thug. Renji is a bit too shaken up to think properly and he thinks being instructed would be best.

He figures Byakuya should know immediately that yet another attempt has been made to nab Rukia.

J J J J

Kira is really disturbed by the incidents of the evening. His men had left one man inside, which under no circumstances should they have done. Not one of his men had been willing to go back in and retrieve the man either. They all said it was better just to let it go, and get as far away as possible. He has a hard time erasing the image of one of his men returning without an eye.

_Aizen-sensei is going to be pissed off when he finds out about this._

Kira's hands tighten on the steering wheel in his anxiousness. He can hardly believe how injured his men had returned to him. He hadn't expected in a million years that a bunch of drinking teens could outfight and out power the large group of strong men that he had gathered.

He dreads making the call to Aizen. The job at the Tokyo Shimbun is out of his grasp now as well.

"Fuck!" Kira hisses, as he drives as far away from the kids party as he possibly can. He has tears in his eyes at all that he has lost tonight with his failure to capture Kuchiki Rukia.

J J J J

Byakuya can hardly believe it. Rukia and Ichigo had attended a party and the place had been raided by many men in an attempt to abduct her. Byakuya is glad he called Renji for back up support in Karakura Town. He hadn't sure how useful it would be, since it was unlikely Rukia would allow Renji to interfere when it came to her rekindled love with Kurosaki Ichigo. He had been surprised to learn that some of Ichigo's friends had helped in protecting Rukia as well, one was even a young lady.

Now he realizes that sending Renji was the perfect plan. Even if Renji can't always be around Rukia, he can keep Byakuya updated about the events surrounding her, and he can be around when she's in a group setting like she had been tonight. Byakuya feels so strongly that this will not be the last time that his sister and her fiancé face insurmountable danger. He wonders if there is anything more he can do to protect her beyond what he has already done.

Byakuya suddenly remembers Karin, Ichigo's younger sister, and how she had reminded him a bit of himself as a child. He thinks it's time to install the same kind of security system in their house that he has installed in Rukia's house. Byakuya wonders if Gin could somehow be involved, as unlikely as it may seem.

Byakuya has already made several calls to have the girl's house restored to its previous appearance since the kids had not called the police. Ichigo seemed to insist that the police would get in the way of questioning the guy. Byakuya has mixed feelings on this decision.

Byakuya sends a text message to Renji telling him to let the host of the party know that her home will be completely cleaned up and restored first thing in the morning.

Byakuya closes his eyes and pictures Hisana. He can practically see her smiling at him.

_Rukia's alright, she wasn't hurt. Once again, Kurosaki saved her life._

The one thing Byakuya is unaware of as he falls asleep that night is how Rukia kicked Ichigo's legs out to prevent him taking a stab from a knife that should have hit her, had Ichigo not reacted at the speed of light and kicked it out of the way. If Byakuya knew that, he certainly would not be quite as calm as he closed his eyes to fall asleep.

J J J J

"Has the asshole woken up yet?" Renji asks the group as they come back. Ichigo ignores him, he's holding Rukia and looking at her in a way that Renji is taken aback by.

Ichigo is staring at her as though she's a mythical creature he must not let out of his sight for fear of her disappearing. A rare treasure he must not let get too far out of reach for fear of it being lost forever. It's an obvious look of love, and anyone looking can tell he cherishes her beyond what mere words could ever expain.

"Not yet, Sado _really_ did a number on him," Ishida tells Renji.

"Damn, he's a strong guy. I'm glad so many skilled people were here to handle that group." Renji replies.

"I wonder why they were so focused on Ichigo and Kuchiki-san," Tatsuki says quietly.

"I don't know, but maybe once this dumb fuck ass wipe wakes up, we'll find out the answer to that question." Ichigo tells her.

Renji walks over to Noriko and gives her a look that makes her pay attention.

"Don't worry about your house, there will be a cleaning crew here in the morning and the door will be taken care of too," he tells her very quietly. Noriko's eyes widen. Did she dare believe him? It sounded way too good to possibly be true.

"Okay," Noriko tells him. It's not like she has much choice to say anything beyond that. She wishes she had hooked up with this guy rather than a guy who shits his pants at the first sign of danger. Her boyfriend really is pathetic.

"Someone get a bucket of cold water to wake his ass up," Ichigo commands loudly.

Tatsuki runs to find something to hold the water. She's curious to know why the party got crashed by so many thugs tonight too.

"I wonder what we'll be able to get out of him," Rukia says to Ichigo softly, she's so glad he's unharmed. He looks amazing as he stands there, furious over how they were attacked tonight. She can hardly believe she's engaged to such a wonderful man.

"Rukia, give me one of your barrettes." Ichigo tells her. Rukia hands him the one she's holding even as she loses her adoring look and takes on a concerned look instead.

"What are you going to do to him?" Rukia asks, wide eyed.

"Scare the living shit out of him. We're going to find out exactly what these douche bags had in mind tonight." Ichigo says in a hard and angry voice. Rukia gulps.

_He wouldn't commit murder…would he?_

J J J J

Aizen cannot believe what he's hearing.

_It's fucking impossible._

How in the hell could a small group of teenagers overpower twenty men, and not only that, one man had been left behind. It was a horrendous failure and Aizen clenches his fists angrily.

He had been so confident about this plan, he had been so sure that a huge group of men coming in like a swat team or small army would subdue the teens instantly, but that hadn't been the case.

They had fought back, hard. There were broken bones, _a fucking missing eye_, broken teeth, bruises, black eyes, and of course one man hadn't made it back.

_I am surrounded by incompetent useless fucking fools. It seems fate wants to laugh at me, and punish me for not taking a little bit better care of my past two pets. Is it really karma?_

Once again, Kuchiki Rukia has managed to fucking escape his grasp.

_Fuck!_

If Aizen wanted to handle things the proper way, he'd end his obsession with Kuchiki Rukia here and now, but for some reason, he isn't able to do that. Gin will be in town in a week.

Aizen wonders type of plan they should use for the next attempt. It gives him a new puzzle to ponder.

There's no way he can let this go now. He'll follow it through to the end. Only one of them will be left standing in the end.

_You want to fucking challenge me bitch? I will own you completely. You may not be worth all of this effort, but it will be so fucking great to break you-mind, body, spirit, and soul. I'll take it all bitch, just you wait and see. I will not lose. It will be your loss, and yours alone._

_I will come up with so many new ways to fill your eyes with fear and pain. Get ready bitch. You'll be addressing me as Aizen-sama and I'll become the center of your world for the rest of your living days. _

_I'll take away every last bit of pride you ever held in that tiny little body of yours and I will enjoy every fucking second of it. I want to see tears of shame run down your face as I force you to beg me to fuck you. I can't fucking wait._

J J J J

Tatsuki comes back with a bucket of cold water and Renji helps her splash it on the only intruder left in Itou's house. The man's eyes widen in apparent fear when he sees a furious orange haired teen glaring down at him with a knife in his hands. The man gasps in fear as he looks around at the scene.

Not one of his comrades has stayed behind or is in sight, and a group of kids are looking at him in almost a hungry way. He feels chills crawl up and down his arms at the snarl that appears on the boy with the orange hair.

"We want answers. You are going to give them to us." Ichigo tells him in a soft and dangerous voice as he points at the man with the knife. Rukia just stares at Ichigo with the concern running through her brain that maybe he might commit murder.

"If you do not give us the answers we want then we will make you regret it," Rukia adds and the man doesn't even look at her, since he can't tear his eyes away from Ichigo's scary expression.

"You understand, don't you?" Renji asks the guy in a low voice. "Answer me now."

He gulps as he stares at the abnormally scary teens surrounding him. He feels totally and completely fucked. He doesn't know how far they're willing to go to get answers to their questions, and he definitely doesn't want to dwell on that thought.

Ichigo pushes the blade closer to the intruder's face and watches as the man looks terrified enough to satisfy Ichigo into asking his first question.

"What was your objective tonight, why did so many men attack this party tonight?" Ichigo asks the man softly. The man gulps again at the scary way the kid is focused on him. He knows he shouldn't tell them anything, but the moment a look of defiance appears on his face. Rukia shoves her foot into his groin and starts to slowly apply her weight in an unforgiving motion.

"We're waiting. You had better answer him now." Rukia tells him in an icy cold voice. Ichigo nods his head and moves the knife even closer to the man. He exhales quickly at the tremendous pain she is applying to his most sensitive area and he lets out a very loud pained moan.

"Don't keep us in suspense." Renji tells him in a hard voice. "We still have lots of questions, you asshole." Renji says it with a scoff.

"You kids are crazy!" The man breathes in fear, and Ichigo lets out a hollow laugh at his words.

"We're crazy? You and your buddies are the ones who broke in here and brandished weapons at us. Why did you do it? Answer us and be quick about it!" Ichigo says, his voice slowly growing louder. Rukia adds more weight to his sensitive area.

"Your procrastinating will only make it more painful." Rukia informs him angrily. The man can't take one more second of the blazing pain she is sending searing through his entire body with her foot.

"We came here to abduct you!" He spits out honestly. She swiftly adds the rest of her weight, causing him to let out a very loud high pitched scream in agony. He flinches as the orange haired kid looks like he wants to end his life here and now as his hand tightens on the blade. He wonders what other pain they'll inflict on him with their interrogation.

"That was a stupid, idiotic, and dangerous idea." Rukia snaps at him before she lifts her foot away from him. The man's face is red from being in pain and he wonders if he'll leave this house alive tonight. That thought sends an icy chill up and down his back.

Rukia studies the man. He's a bit larger than ordinary men, but he has an average complexion, with average eyes, and average hair. There's nothing outstandingly unique about him and dressed all in black, he just looks like an ordinary slim Japanese man, probably in his early thirties or maybe a bit older.

"I'm so fucking pissed off right now," Ichigo growls in a terrifying voice. Tatsuki and Renji look at him with surprised concern. They expected him to be pissed, but he looks like he's about to erupt where he stands. He's glaring angrily at the only man left for him to pummel from their attempt to abduct Rukia.

"Who sent you here to abduct her?" Renji asks since Ichigo looks like he's about to blow steam from his ears and is obviously too angry to think straight right now. The man is too much in pain to show his surprise at that question.

"I don't know, only the leader knew who that was!" The man answers quickly. He's learned his lesson with the dark haired bitch they came to take.

"Who was your leader?" Renji asks next.

"We all called him Kira. I don't know if it's his real name or not though!" The man replies, properly terrified.

"What was the plan?" Rukia asks in a soft and dangerous voice. She puts a hand on Ichigo's arm and that brings an instant calmness to him.

"We were supposed to take you and run you to the car where you would have been put to sleep and taken away by the leader!" The man explains in a strained voice.

"Have you and your boys been following us?" Ichigo asks him next, wondering if they're the explanation for his uneasiness this past week.

"There have been people watching you." He confirms. He knows that much.

"Where was your leader going to take her?" Renji asks him next.

"We were all told to meet at a specific place after everything finished smoothly but those plans have probably changed since she wasn't captured." The man tells them.

"Where?" Ichigo asks him.

"We were all supposed to meet at Ueno Park." The man tells them.

"In Tokyo?" Rukia asks in surprise.

"That's where Kira lives." The man explains in a raspy voice.

"What does this Kira person look like?" Renji asks next. Tatsuki is impressed, he seems to be so clearheaded in this complete nerve shattering mess.

"He's average height, blond hair, not really long, but not really short either. He's kind of young, blue eyes." The man answers. Rukia doesn't recall ever seeing anybody that fits his description in Japan.

"What do you know about the last attack on her home?" Ichigo asks next.

"I don't know anything about that." The man says, looking at the faces of the teens standing around him. "I didn't know there had been a previous attempt." He tells them, hoping they believe that since it's the truth.

"If it was only supposed to be an abduction, then how come you came so heavily armed with weapons?" Rukia asks the man. He swallows and feels the lump in his throat seem to grow larger.

"The weapons were supposed to be insurance that we successfully captured you and…" The man trails off as he realizes this is going to sound really bad.

"And?" Rukia asks in a demanding voice.

"We were warned that there may be some guys inclined to fight us and we were supposed to use our weapons to incapacitate them." The man explains in a choked voice.

"You said that Kira lives in Tokyo. Do you know the exact location?" Renji asks the man next.

"No. I just know that's where he lives, although after tonight's incident, I imagine he'll relocate fairly quickly." The man tells them.

"What about a way to contact him then?" Rukia asks him next.

"No. We were supposed to stick together. I wasn't supposed to get left behind." The man says in a quiet and fearful voice.

"They didn't really have a choice but to leave you behind though," Ishida tells the man with a look of disgust.

"I'm beginning to feel like you haven't been very much help to us," Ichigo says with a dangerous glint in his eyes. The man's eyes widen. Rukia gives the man an unforgiving look.

"If you value your life, you might want to think of any information that you have that might be useful to us." Rukia informs him. The man squeaks.

"There is one order we were given when it came to the operation tonight. We were ordered not to rape you." He tells he, racking his brain to think if there's any other useful information he can give in exchange for his life.

Ichigo and Rukia exchange glances at that bit of information. It completely contradicts what the men had in mind for her last time. Something seems totally wrong.

"Was it Kira who wanted her?" Renji asks softly.

"I don't know! I was under the impression that it was someone else, since Kira left to make a call about fifteen minutes before we busted in here. If you ask me what my impression was, it was that the girl would be sold." The man explains.

"Were you warned about me?" Ichigo asks him softly. The man swallows and nods.

"We were told to be very wary of an orange haired kid if he happened to want to fight us." He admits realizing it sounds as if they did know about the attack on the girl's home last time, that the kid had previously mentioned. Especially considering all of the information they had coming into the party.

"What are we going to do with this guy?" Tatsuki asks Renji.

"Check his wallet. I want to know his name." Renji tells her, and the man feels another stab of fear from these scary teens.

Ichigo shoves the man to his side, using his foot to nudge him, and Ishida squats down and slides the man's wallet from his pants.

"Takahashi Jiro" Ishida reads, once he pulls the man's ID out of his wallet.

"Did you know your target was only fifteen years old?" Ichigo asks Jiro with a furious voice.

"No, I didn't even see her until I watched her enter this house for your party," Jiro admits, wondering what will happen next. Ichigo and Rukia's eyes widen in surprise at that new bit of information.

"You saw us come in here?" Ichigo asks him with the amazement evident in his voice.

"Yes, we were observing to see how many kids would be present." Jiro replies.

"You were here before we were?" Rukia asks in shock. "How did you know about this party?" She asks him suspiciously.

"One of the guys who was tailing you, overheard you talking about it, we were ordered to follow the other kids you hang out with today, and not to follow you today." Jiro tells her. "That's all I know."

"Write down his information." Renji tells Tatsuki, and she takes the ID from Ishida.

"We're going to want a phone number to contact you at in case we come up with any more questions." Renji tells him in a hard voice. Jiro blinks. They're actually going to let him go?

"Is that such a good idea, letting him go with no punishment?" Ichigo asks Renji. Jiro squeaks. The girl had put her weight on his nuts, isn't that punishment enough?

"I'm not going to let you murder him." Renji tells Ichigo. "If we aren't calling the cops then we have to let him go."

"Really? I can't thank you enough-" Jiro starts to say but is silenced by a hard unforgiving elbow of Ichigo's flying at him and nailing him right in the temple. He passes out.

"We can't kill him. We just can't." Renji tells Ichigo with worry evident in his eyes.

"Sado, do me a favor and get that guy out of my sight before I do kill him. Renji, wait outside for him to wake up if you want his phone number that badly. Rukia, come here." Ichigo grabs Rukia's hand and leads her around the corner where he crushes her up against his chest in mind numbing relief that they got through the ordeal unscathed.

Everyone hurries to follow Ichigo's orders, since he doesn't look like he's in the mood to play.

"Something stinks in here," Inoue says as she wrinkles her nose. Noriko blushes.

"Keigo shit himself." She tells them. Ichigo and Rukia overhear this, and this is just what the group needed to finally let loose their worried breaths and chuckle at the humor of how Keigo reacted compared to the other men in the room. Noriko doesn't meet anyone's eyes as the laughing doesn't stop. They all let their anxieties out and everyone begins to feel much better as they laugh.

Tatsuki doubles over in her laughter, and she can't stop laughing at the fact that Keigo shit his pants while they were kicking ass. What a coward!

Something shiny catches Tatsuki's eyes and she stops laughing to examine the object more closely. She walks closer to the hallway and realizes it's Kuchiki-san's locket, and it must have come off in the scuffle. Tatsuki also realizes that it had landed on the ground completely open.

As Tatsuki is picking it up and observing the tiny half faces of Ichigo and Rukia at a terribly young age, she hears Kuchiki-san's voice and it sounds frantic.

"My locket! It's gone! Ichigo!" Rukia says urgently.

Tatsuki straightens up as she carefully observes the picture and then gazes towards the hallway with narrowed eyes. Ichigo and Rukia quickly come back into view and appear to be looking at the ground. They don't notice what Tatsuki is holding right away.

Tatsuki holds the locket open and up as she clears her throat.

"Kuchiki-san…were you looking for_ this_?" Tatsuki asks with a raised eyebrow.


	30. Chapter 29: Locket Revelation

Chapter 29

_Locket Revelation _

Rukia's mouth gapes open as she looks at her locket wide open in Tatsuki's hand. Ichigo has a similar expression on his face, and they both feel the same level of shock and dread.

The furious blushing of both Ichigo and Rukia isn't missed on Tatsuki at all. Inoue has hurried over to her best friend to get a look at the locket. She stands next to Tatsuki and peers at it.

Ichigo and Rukia trade very worried glances. Ichigo throws his arm protectively around her.

_Now what are we supposed to do?_

"Wow I haven't seen Ichigo looking like this in a long time," Tatsuki says with a grin. Ichigo and Rukia both blush. This is the moment that the other partygoers choose to stick their heads timidly into the room. Mahana, Kunieda, and Chizuru look shocked at the look of the room, which definitely looks like there was a huge fight in there.

They see Tatsuki and Inoue staring at Rukia's open locket and they walk further into the room. Michiru follows at a slower pace behind them, surveying the busted door, the damage in the room, and the fact that everyone seems safe and well.

Mizuiro and his girlfriend follow into the room minutes later.

"What on earth happened in here?" Mizuiro asks in shock.

"You both look very young in this picture, Kuchiki-san, Kurosaki-kun." Inoue says softly as she looks at the small photo of Rukia and Ichigo's happy faces.

"We _were_ really young." Ichigo grumbles, completely red in the face.

"You've known each other a long time, huh?" Kunieda says as Tatsuki gives her a better view of the locket.

"Yes." Rukia says in a voice, barely above a whisper. Ichigo couldn't be more mortified. He yanks the locket out of Tatsuki's hands and closes it. Then he hands it to Rukia.

"I've always wondered what the story was behind the two of you." Mahana says with a grin. Tatsuki, Inoue, Noriko, Michiru, and Kunieda all nod their heads in agreement. Rukia slips the locket back on as quickly as her hands allow her to, considering the situation. Mizuiro grins in amusement.

"Yeah, what's the story behind that, Ichigo?" Mizuiro asks his friend. Rukia and Ichigo trade embarrassed glances, and neither one of them speaks. Neither one of them want to explain and so neither one of them try to.

"That was what he looked like when I first met him," Tatsuki tells the girls who all digest that information before looking back at the couple.

"You two must have a really juicy story, otherwise you wouldn't look so skittish." Kunieda says as she stares at Ichigo and then Rukia. Ichigo feels Rukia sag up against his side, and he doesn't know how to rectify this situation for her.

"How old were the two of you when you met?" Mahana asks Rukia. Ichigo and Rukia are blushing an identical shade of red at that question.

"I was three, and Ichigo was four." Rukia practically whispers. Ichigo squeezes her shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Wow, that young?" Tatsuki breathes, as she stares at them. Ichigo nods his head, not letting all of the burden fall onto Rukia.

"When do we get to hear this story, anyways?" Mizuiro asks Ichigo as he nudges his arm to get his full attention.

"I want to hear about it too." Tatsuki tells him.

"Me too!" Inoue says excitedly.

Ichigo and Rukia glance at each other again, and Rukia has a questioning look in her eyes as she stares at Ichigo and he has a deer in the headlights type of look to give back to her.

"It's actually a really private story," Rukia says haltingly.

"Come on! Didn't we just help fight off guys who wanted to abduct you?" Tatsuki asks her, hoping she can guilt an explanation out of the two of them.

Renji walks back into the house after getting a bit more information from Jiro outside. Jiro had taken off running and not looked back the moment Renji had given him the approval to leave.

"Um…" Rukia trails off. Tatsuki's right. They did just all battle and help both her and Ichigo out, and it would be rude to deny their request after they had done all of that.

"Ah! What in the hell is _that?!"_ Mizuiro's girlfriend has noticed the eyeball stuck to Ishida's keys, and several of the girls look and have disgusted reactions to the sight that they're seeing. Ichigo looks and gets the creeps too.

"Who removed an eye?" Ichigo asks with a raised eyebrow. Ishida raises his hand.

"It was me." Ishida tells him. Ichigo gives him a contemplative look.

"Don't try to change the subject!" Tatsuki says, causing both Rukia and Ichigo to inwardly groan. They had both had the optimistic hope for just a moment that the eyeball was enough of a distraction to get everyone's attention off of them.

"What was the question again?" Ichigo asks nervously.

"We want to know how you met for starters." Tatsuki tells him with a glare.

"And how Kurosaki-kun proposed!" Michiru pipes up before blushing.

"It's a story that's tied up with the death of my mother." Rukia tells them, hoping they'll back off, but it has the opposite effect. Now everyone looks even more engrossed than before.

"I'm dying of curiosity!" Tatsuki tells her. Rukia glances at Ichigo who gives her a barely perceptible nod. She sighs. She knows he will not say one word unless she does first.

"It's a long story." Rukia says next.

"I think most of us were planning on spending the night here anyways," Kunieda assures her.

"I will tell you how we met, but it's up to Ichigo to tell you about his proposal, and that's only if he wants to." Rukia finally says, giving into at least one of their requests.

The girls all squeal and when Tatsuki grabs a chair from the kitchen table to sit down to listen, everyone else follows suit. Everyone seems very excited as they situate themselves, and unintentionally they end up sitting in a circle, with Rukia leaning up against Ichigo for support as she prepares to explain the past events surrounding her first meeting with Ichigo.

Soon everyone is sitting and looking at Rukia expectantly to hear the story of how she and Ichigo met.

"When I was three years old, very shortly after my father died of a tragic heart attack, his half brother attacked our home with the hopes of abducting me. My mother took my older sister who was a little bit older than we are now, and me to the study where she made us escape out the window. We lived just outside of Karakura Town where it's more country, but my uncle had brought some of his cohorts with him. My mother sent my older sister and me outside to escape, and she stayed behind to confront my uncle." Rukia explains.

This is one of the things that had been recounted in the many videos that Isshin had taped and Rukia knows the story well, even though most of it's through the videos and not her actual recollection.

Ichigo's hand tightens on her arm in silent support, and Rukia feels like his strength is flowing into her, giving her the courage she needs to reveal something as personal as what she's revealing.

"So tonight isn't the first time someone attempted to abduct you?!" Tatsuki says in surprise. Rukia nods.

"What happened next, Kuchiki-san?" Inoue asks, knowing that must have been a terrifying experience.

"My sister was running with me, but my uncle's goons were catching up. She made the quick decision to hide me in a thick brush, and she tore off alone by herself. She had ordered me before leaving me to wait until I couldn't hear anything and then to run in the opposite direction of everyone else. I did as she instructed, and I was on the run for awhile. When I couldn't move anymore, I rested against a tree and started to cry. That's when suddenly a young boy with bright orange hair appeared as if from nowhere to ask me what was wrong." Rukia says, smiling softly.

"Damn! _That's_ how you met Ichigo?!" Tatsuki says incredulously.

"Yeah, he led me up into his tree house and saved my life." Rukia tells them. "The men came searching around the area where I ended up, and if it hadn't been for Ichigo they would have found me for sure." Rukia tells them.

"She's also the reason I started karate at such a young age." Ichigo informs Tatsuki.

"So you knew Ichigo even before I did!" Tatsuki says, wide eyed at that realization.

"That is such a heart wrenching story! What happened to your sister?" Inoue says, her eyes wide with concern. Rukia smiles sadly at her.

"She was saved by the man I now call my brother, Kuchiki Byakuya. They got married and I was adopted into the family officially about a year after my sister died when she was trying to give birth." Rukia explains softly.

"And your mom died in the situation?" Tatsuki asks giving her a sympathetic look.

"She stayed behind to protect us, and she died in her effort to do so." Rukia says softly.

All she has now are pictures of her mom. She doesn't have any conscious memories of any of the moments she ever spent with her mother, even though when she looks at the pictures, he mother's face seems so familiar, comforting, and warm.

It's very similar to the comforting sensation she always has when she looks at Ichigo. Rukia supposes she felt very safe when she was with he mom. She feels the tears welling in her eyes and she blinks furiously to keep them from falling.

"Wow, that's an intense story." Kunieda says, feeling bad that she pressured Kuchiki into telling it.

Inoue is feeling choked up. She had never imagined that Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san had such an extensive and deep history like the one that had just been described. Even Ishida looks a little surprised by the story.

"That's really deep." Tatsuki says, staring at Ichigo. Even Renji looks a little bit surprised. Rukia had really given him an abridged version of how she and Ichigo had met back when she'd described it to him in America.

He hadn't known she was three when she met Ichigo. She had simply said that it was before she had met him. She also hadn't mentioned that her mom had died that night. He also hadn't realized that the pedophile chasing her (which he noticed she hadn't shared with Ichigo's friends) was her father's half brother. He's shocked by it all.

"Your uncle?" Renji says with horror. Rukia realizes she had mentioned to Renji in the past that she had been chased by a pedophile. She hopes he doesn't bring that up now.

"Yeah." Rukia says softly.

"I'm sorry," Renji says in a low voice.

"No wonder the two of you are so close, to have gone through such a scary situation together at such a young age," Kunieda says thoughtfully.

"And you have such a close bond together after all these years, I would have never expected for that to be the way the two of you met," Michiru says with a timid smile. She lets her gaze fall back on Kurosaki-kun. She's always thought he was kind of scary, but Kuchiki-san's story shows him in an entirely new light.

"Thanks for telling us. I've wondered what the story was for the longest time." Tatsuki tells Rukia.

Ichigo realizes the reason they're all so calm is because none of them realize that it was shortly thereafter that he and Rukia had insisted on an Omiai to his parents and her sister.

"You did help save me tonight, and if you wanted to know how we met as a reward, I could hardly refuse you." Rukia tells her, staring her straight in the eye.

Tatsuki finds that she feels a bit bad about her request, seeing as how emotional the recounting of it had made her friend's fiancé. Tatsuki finds that she can't hold Kuchiki's deep gaze and so she looks at Ichigo.

"And you proposed how?" She asks with a grin. Ichigo blushes.

"You've heard enough details." Ichigo tells her gruffly. Rukia's recount had gotten to him more than the others. No way were they going to find out anymore than what they already knew.

"Come on!" Tatsuki says, and Ichigo glares daggers at her.

"Hell no." Ichigo says firmly. Rukia feels a tiny grin coming on. She doesn't want them all knowing that either. His friends knew how they met, and that's all they need for now, as far as she's concerned.

"Why not?" Tatsuki says with a pout.

"It's private." Ichigo answers instantly. "It's between me and Rukia alone." Ichigo says without any sign of guilt in his voice for holding out on them. He doesn't know why they think they're entitled to know all of the details anyways. He feels like their privacy has been invaded enough for one night. He tightens his hold on her shoulder.

"Here you go, Kuchiki-san." Mizuiro hands her a fresh cup of sake, which Rukia accepts gratefully and takes a tiny sip of.

"I think you should call Shoko-san and let her know you won't be coming home until the daylight comes." Ichigo tells Rukia. She nods and hands him her sake. She stands and leaves the room to make the call to Shoko.

"She's been through a lot, huh." Tatsuki says to Ichigo as she watches Rukia disappear.

"You could put it that way." Ichigo says quietly.

"I won't get any sleep tonight." Tatsuki tells him. "Now I'm all fired up. They should have brought thirty." She smacks her right fist against her open left palm and smiles victoriously.

"Trust Sado to knock someone out that hard that they're left here at our mercy," Ichigo says with a shake of his head, feeling relieved that he has such a reliable best friend. Sado grins at him.

"We had a deal." Sado says quietly, and Ichigo gives him a small grin.

"You always come through though, thanks for that." Ichigo tells his friend. He looks at the others who had helped him defend against the thugs who'd broken in. "Thanks you guys." Ichigo tells them.

Rukia walks back in the room and Ichigo gives her a look.

"Shoko was fine with it." Rukia tells him quickly.

"You need to call your brother." Ichigo tells her next. She sighs and walks back out of the room.

"They picked a bad party to crash didn't they?" Inoue giggles. Renji smiles at Tatsuki.

"That's putting it mildly, wouldn't you say?" He asks her, after seeing her fight, he's properly impressed with her abilities. She had taken on full grown men without shedding one tear. In some ways, she reminds him a lot of Rukia.

"I can only imagine what that Kira guy must think after seeing the condition his men returned in. He must think we're some bloodthirsty psycho kids, considering one man returned without an eyeball." Tatsuki says with a wink and a grin. Ishida turns pink, and Inoue smiles at him.

"Let them think it." Ichigo mutters angrily.

_Whoever it is that's targeting her is bold as hell. Instead of coming after her directly, they're sending others to do the dirty work. This is now two attempted kidnappings in under two weeks. _

It wouldn't shock him at all if there is a third attempt.

_Whoever it is, I'm going to make them really fucking sorry._

"Thanks for protecting me, Ishida-kun." Inoue says, causing Ishida to turn from pink to bright red.

"It was nothing at all, Inoue-san." Ishida says, shoving his glasses up his nose.

"Who's going to get the eyeball off of the keys?" Michiru asks in a terrified voice.

Ishida stops blushing and turns green at that prospect. He's certain nobody will volunteer to remove the eyeball.

"I can do it if nobody else can." Sado says.

"You have guts of steel to offer to do that." Kunieda says with a look of disgust clearly on her face. Michiru gives Sado a look that clearly shows she thinks he is magnificent when he says that, and Chizuru gags.

"What will you do with it?" Noriko asks suspiciously.

"I say we flush it." Ichigo says quickly. Rukia walks into the room.

"My brother wants to talk to you." Rukia tells him with a sigh. Ichigo scowls and walks over to take her phone from her. He hands her the cup of sake before he walks into the hallway leaving her with his friends alone. She notices that everyone's attention is on the disgusting eyeball that is stuck to Ishida's key.

"We could burn it," Mizuiro suggests causing several people to turn green.

"No, lets not burn it, I don't want to smell it burning." Renji says, looking horrified at the very thought of it.

"We could bury it." Rukia tells them. Everybody seems to like this idea best.

"Do you have something we could put it in?" Sado asks Noriko. She wrinkles her nose at the discussion, but nods her head.

"I'll find something." She says. She wonders why it feels like they've done something horribly wrong. The perfect party never included having to bury an eyeball of a human being.

Ishida suddenly notices that he has some of the man's blood on his hands and he quickly leaves the room to go wash himself off. Chizuru leaps on Inoue with a big smile on her face.

"I hope you weren't too scared, Orihime!" Chizuru says, grabbing Inoue into a tight hug. Tatsuki slides over and clocks Chizuru in the cheek, Chizuru slides to the ground moaning from the pain.

J J J J

Ichigo hangs up with Byakuya and growls in frustration. Byakuya had thanked him for protecting Rukia, and he reminded Ichigo that he had warned him at the Miai that he needed to have the ability to protect Rukia.

Ichigo had informed Byakuya that he and Rukia would not be returning back home until the sun was in the sky and Byakuya had ignored that comment and had asked if Ichigo had found out anything. Ichigo had responded angrily.

_I found out I get really fucking pissed off when people try to attack Rukia!_

Ichigo had been hung up on after that bold statement. He stands to go back to Rukia.

J J J J

Byakuya can hardly believe it. He's actually smiling. A genuine smile, full of amusement at the final words he had allowed himself to hear from his sister's beau. Ichigo may be a rash kid, but he loves the hell out of Rukia. Byakuya can't help but to feel his respect for the kid continuously grow. He really cares about her safety and well being, not just about getting her into his bed.

It had been one of the most uncomfortable conversations in his life when he had requested that Rukia get on birth control. She had looked at him like he had grown a second head when he'd brought it up.

She had turned red and she had stiffly nodded her head. Byakuya had been glad she hadn't wanted to have a long discussion about it. He gets the feeling that he makes her as uncomfortable as she makes him sometimes.

It's hard for him to see her growing into a young woman, because with every day that passes, she looks more and more like Hisana. Not only do they look similar, but they fell in love on the same night, being saved from the same situation. The chances of something like that happening are so small that Byakuya wonders if some kind of divine intervention wasn't at work that night.

He remembers that Hisana had commented more than once that she believed her mother had much to do with the fact that neither girl got harmed that night. He strongly believes Hisana's will is being honored. The fact that Kurosaki has saved her life several times now only confirms that he is the right man for Byakuya to give his sister away to, even if the decision had truly been made a long time ago.

Byakuya finally accepts it in his heart. He will fully support Rukia in her dream to marry Kurosaki Ichigo. He's willing to lay down his life for her and he is strong enough to protect her. Byakuya feels very comforted to know he's protecting Rukia.

J J J J

Ichigo stalks back into the room where everyone is gathered and stands next to Rukia before handing her back her phone.

"Your brother is a pain in the ass. He hung up on me." Ichigo informs her with a scowl. Rukia grins.

"It's a bad habit of his," Rukia says just before she takes a sip of her sake.

"It's damned rude." Ichigo mutters before he gives her a close inspection, noticing her halter top got stretched a bit in the earlier brawl.

"Thanks for everything that you did for me tonight," Rukia says softly. Ichigo's gaze softens the moment he meets her eyes. He can't believe she's thanking him. She should expect him to react this way. He leans down to talk into her ear so that he's not heard by the others.

"I will always protect you." Ichigo tells her softly and fervently, making her smile in relief.

"I can get through anything when you tell me that." Rukia says in a heartfelt voice.

"Then I will keep on telling you that, however often you need to hear it." Ichigo promises her. She finds a smile and looks up at him.

"You're so amazing." She tells him with an appreciative look in her eyes.

"No, I'm just in love." He tells her, and her breath catches in her throat at the look in his eyes. She can feel the protectiveness and she takes a calming breath.

"I've got it!" Noriko walks in the room with a small box and hands it to Sado.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asks.

"We're going to bury the eyeball." Tatsuki tells him.

Ichigo watches as Sado squats down and takes hold of Ishida's keys. Ichigo can't look away and he grimaces as Sado wipes the eyeball off of the key and into the box. A squishy noise is heard as he gets the eyeball off of the keys, and everyone cringes when they hear it plop into the box.

"You look a bit green." Rukia tells him. Ichigo nods. He glances over as Chizuru gags. The other girls look ill as well.

"That is sick." Ichigo mutters.

"That was grosser than I thought it would be," Kunieda rasps out, and Mahana quickly nods her agreement.

"I never want to hear that sound again in my life." Noriko moans as she clutches her stomach.

Sado hands Ishida his bloody keys and Ishida looks really grossed out. He rushes his keys to the bathroom to clean the blood off of them.

"That was nasty." Mizuiro's girlfriend tells him. He nods his agreement. He's a bit pale, and he hopes he doesn't pass out. That had been the most disgusting thing he'd ever seen in his life, and he's seen Noriko and Keigo about to have sex.

"Come here." Ichigo pulls Rukia over to a couch and sits down and pushes her head onto his shoulder. "You need to relax for a bit." He tells her as he rubs her arm. She sips her sake.

"You're right. I'm feeling so on edge." She admits with a sigh as she appreciates having his shoulder to lean on. Everyone grins as Keigo enters the room looking sheepish.

"When are your parents supposed to get home?" Keigo asks Noriko, who scowls at him.

"In the evening tomorrow." She informs him.

"Finally all cleaned up Keigo?" Mizuiro asks with a smirk. Keigo blushes.

"Shut the hell up." Keigo tells him. Everyone laughs. Keigo heads straight for the sake. He really needs a cup after the stress of the evening.

"I still can't get over the fact that you've known Kuchiki-san for so long," Tatsuki tells Ichigo. "I'm shocked that I've never been introduced to her until recently," Tatsuki says thoughtfully.

"That's because she spent a lot of time in America and moving around," Renji tells Tatsuki.

"What about you? Was coming here the first time you ever met Ichigo?" Tatsuki asks Renji. Rukia and Ichigo refuse to look her in the eyes, but Renji grins at her.

I met him before I came to Karakura Town." Renji tells her. Tatsuki's eyes widen.

"Really?" Tatsuki says, disbelieving.

"Rukia brought him to one of our martial arts competitions in America." Renji tells her.

"Did you win?" Tatsuki asks him with a grin. Renji blushes.

"I made it to the final match, but I ended up losing." Renji says, a bit embarrassed. Tatsuki looks surprised.

"Wow, you must have had some kind of amazing opponent to lose, I couldn't believe how great you were when those thugs rushed in here earlier." Tatsuki says, causing both Ichigo and Rukia to smother their laughter. Renji blushes harder.

"He did have an amazing opponent." Rukia says with a small giggle. Tatsuki looks at her and then notices Ichigo's red face.

"Don't even tell me…" Tatsuki says, staring at Renji and then at Ichigo.

"It looks like you figured it out! I entered Ichigo in the tournament, and he won the men's division." Rukia says, finding the situation to be completely hilarious.

"You entered a competition?! You always refused to enter them in the past!" Tatsuki says, with a shocked look in Ichigo's direction.

"Like I could ever say no to Rukia." Ichigo tells Tatsuki, rolling his eyes. Tatsuki gives Rukia an impressed look.

"Do you have any idea how much I begged him to enter a competition? Our karate instructor too. He always said he hadn't learned martial arts for competition." Tatsuki tells her.

"The whole reason I learned it was for her." Ichigo tells Tatsuki, blushing a bit at how she's making such a big deal out of it.

"He broke a tournament record too, he had the quickest defeat in the history of the tournament and knocked his opponent out in under two seconds." Rukia tells Tatsuki, giving Ichigo a proud look.

"He's totally different around you." Tatsuki tells Rukia. "I would have never guessed that Ichigo still had such a soft side to him. I thought that disappeared years ago." Tatsuki says, looking in amazement at Rukia and then at Ichigo. Ichigo looks away from her, and keeps blushing.

"Shut up." Ichigo mutters at her, and Rukia smothers a giggle.

"I'm so jealous of you, Kuchiki-san!" Michiru says, with unshed tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, I am too. You two make such an amazing couple, and it's easy to see how in love you are with one another." Kunieda says looking back and forth between the two.

"Meeting by being saved is _so_ romantic!" Mahana says with a sigh.

"I never thought I'd see the day where Kurosaki would adore a girl." Tatsuki says with a nod of her head. Ichigo has had enough and he glares at Tatsuki.

"And I never thought I'd see the day where you were excited to go shopping for something cute to wear!" Ichigo tells her, eyeing her cargo pants and halter top with a skeptical look. Tatsuki blushes.

"She's cared for awhile now, Kurosaki-kun." Inoue says to him, helping her best friend out.

"Yeah! You just never noticed!" Tatsuki says with a pointed look at him.

"He never noticed anything about any girl until Kuchiki-san came to town." Kunieda says with a grin. Noriko finds her head nodding in agreement to that statement.

"I didn't know Kurosaki had such a romantic side to him." Mahana tells the rest of them.

"Oh, so you didn't know about how he adores Shakespeare?" Tatsuki says with a grin.

"Your story is more romantic than Romeo and Juliet!" Michiru says clasping her hands together and staring at them.

"Yeah, they met by him saving her life as children, and now they're in love." Tatsuki says, eyeing the both of them with barely contained curiosity.

"When are you getting married?" Michiru asks Rukia.

"We will probably get married right after we graduate here." Rukia tells her with a grin.

"Really?" Michiru asks with an excited smile.

"So when do we get to hear the story of your proposal, anyways?" Tatsuki says to Ichigo, pinning him with a glare. Ichigo blushes. He would prefer for them all never to know, but he knows it will end up coming out sooner or later.

"If you still don't know the story by the day of our wedding, we will tell it at the reception." Ichigo promises her.

Finally everybody lets the subject go, since they all know how stubborn Kurosaki can be. Rukia ends up dozing off on Ichigo's shoulder, but he stays awake the rest of the night since the door had been busted in. He ends up adjusting her so that her head is in his lap, and he gives his friends a glare that lets them know he won't tolerate any comments over it.

Inoue ends up falling asleep on a couch, and Ishida positions himself on the floor in front of her and he stays awake, which ends up disappointing Chizuru. Renji and Tatsuki both end up dozing off on the couch next to Inoue and Ishida once dawn comes. Ichigo smirks when Tatsuki's head ends up on Renji's chest and in his sleep he throws an arm around her. They end up cuddling in their sleep.

Keigo ends up passing out drunk without ever getting to get Noriko in bed. Unfortunately for Noriko, she doesn't get any sleep either since Chizuru decided to not leave her alone. She spends the rest of the night attempting wrestling Chizuru off of her, but Chizuru is a bit stronger and ends up feeling up Noriko more than once in the night. Noriko's indignant squawks reach Sado, Ichigo, and Ishida's ears several times. They all laugh and blush at that.

Sado stays awake too, and Kunieda, Michiru, and Mahana all clear a spot on the floor and fall asleep in front of where he had positioned himself sitting. Mizuiro takes his girlfriend to a guest bedroom and disappears for the evening.

Everybody wakes up when a work crew arrives and starts to get rid of all the evidence of the fight the night before. Noriko's mouth opens in shock when she sees her front door being repaired, and the holes in the wall being repaired.

Everyone sticks around to help clean up a little bit and everyone begins to head home around eleven in the morning.

It was definitely a party that none of them will ever forget.


	31. Chapter 30: Self Defense

Chapter 30

_Self-defense_

"Ichigo, you're finally home. Did you know about Byakuya's plans?" Isshin asks his son as they get out of the car Rukia had called for them.

Ichigo looks at him in total confusion.

"Why are you waiting for me outside?" Ichigo asks instead of answering his father's question.

"Because there is a new security system being installed as we speak. Courtesy of Kuchiki Byakuya." Isshin informs him.

"Really?" Rukia says wide eyed with surprise.

"I was shocked too." Isshin says, nodding his head with a lot of emphasis.

"I wonder why he did that." Rukia says with surprise still clearly showing in her blue eyes.

"Why don't you call him and find out?" Ichigo asks her. She nods her head and pulls out her cell phone. Ichigo and Isshin cross their arms and stare at her as she presses send. She feels a bit nervous with their serious gazes focused so intently on her and so she turns around so that she doesn't have to see them looking at her while she talks. She waits nervously for an answer, even though her brother almost never answers her calls.

After a moment, it's obvious that her brother isn't answering and so she leaves him a voicemail.

"Byakuya ni-sama, Ichigo and his father are very curious as to why you decided to install a security system in their home, especially since you didn't tell them about it first. Please call Kurosaki-sensei back and let him know why you did that. Thanks, bye." Rukia says smoothly. She turns back around.

"He didn't answer eh?" Isshin says with a grin. "It's not like I don't appreciate the generosity and kindness of his act, I just wish he would have been considerate enough to warn me first. It was quite a shock." Isshin finishes.

"Ni-sama has a bad habit of making decisions without informing people. I learned a long time ago that the best way to handle that is to make decisions of my own and then inform him about them. That's how I handled our reunion anyways." Rukia tells Ichigo.

"What?" Ichigo asks her in confusion.

"When you sent that letter here, telling me you were requesting a formal Miai, I called my brother and left him a voicemail telling him that now that I found you, I wanted to live near you, and experience my Miai and odeto since I'm at the appropriate age." Rukia says with a blush. "I also reminded him that our Omiai had been approved of by Hisana." She tells him, and Ichigo's mouth falls open at her ability to take charge, even with her own brother.

"How did he react when you did that?" Ichigo asks her. She blushes.

"He arrived home in under an hour to tell me he would arrange our Miai." She admits with a smile. "I was so nervous when he came home, since I'm not used to spending a lot of time around him. I hardly ever spend time with him." She explains. "He really surprised me by being so agreeable." She says with a grin. Ichigo smiles back at her.

"I wonder if he realized that you had used his own tactic against him." Ichigo says looking at her, and thinking she really is a unique girl.

"I didn't really know what he was thinking. Sometimes he's really hard to read, but last night when I talked to him, he finally seemed to accept our relationship fully for the first time." Rukia says with a happy smile. "Not that I would have stopped seeing you if he did, but I'm glad he accepts you." Rukia tells Ichigo.

"Yeah, he just _adores_ me…so much so that he hung up on me." Ichigo says with a smirk. Sometimes her brother's arrogance is so great you just have to take a step back and say _wow_.

"Don't take it so personally. It's a bad habit of his that when he's done talking he simply hangs up." Rukia says, wanting to laugh at Ichigo's expression of serious doubt.

"He's so full of himself." Ichigo says, even as a limo pulls up into the driveway.

They all watch in shock as the door opens and Byakuya steps out.

"Byakuya ni-sama!" Rukia says in a loud surprised voice.

"Speak of the devil himself." Ichigo mutters under his breath.

"Kurosaki-sensei, I apologize for not contacting you before the installation crew arrived, I was held up this morning at a breakfast meeting with the Prime Minister." Byakuya says with a barely imperceptible bow.

"Welcome to our home, I admit I am very curious as to why you arranged all of this on such short notice." Isshin tells him with a small bow of his own.

"The party the kids were at was attacked last night. It suddenly occurred to me that your family's home should be protected immediately, seeing as how my sister spends so much of her time there." Byakuya tells them.

"The party was attacked?" Isshin says with surprise. He gives Rukia and Ichigo both a questioning look.

"That's why we didn't come home until the morning," Ichigo tells his dad, rolling his eyes.

"That's right, I meant to ask you why you were out all night long, the security company made me lose my train of thought." Isshin says to his son.

"It seems that there is someone out there who really wants to kidnap Rukia." Ichigo says in an angry voice. He clenches his fist at the thought of it.

"At least neither of you appear to be injured. I'm right aren't I? You're okay aren't you, Rukia-chan?" Isshin asks, concern growing more strong in his voice with each word he spoke.

"I'm okay, Ichigo protected me." Rukia tells him with a smile.

"You don't think whoever was trying will give up?" Isshin asks in surprise. "Don't you think they'll consider it a lost cause now?"

"I do not." Byakuya tells Isshin in a deadly calm voice. "That is why I arranged to have security here." He says with a spark of sadness showing in his eyes.

"Is that all you have planned?" Ichigo asks him suspiciously. Byakuya forces himself not to smile. The kid is just _too_ perceptive.

"No." Byakuya says and then he looks at Rukia. "Do you remember the bodyguards Kenpachi and Ikkaku?" He asks her. She nods her head slowly.

"Yes." Rukia answers.

"I've rented them an apartment nearby. If ever the two of you run into any trouble, you can call them for back up. If you're feeling particularly uncomfortable, you may call them to escort you. They'll also be patrolling the area periodically at night." Byakuya tells her. "Apparently Ikkaku has a brother who will be joining him at the apartment sometime this week. He'll also be an assistant. His name is Yumichika. They'll be stopping by to leave you their cell phone numbers." Byakuya informs them.

"Oh." Rukia says, dumbfounded. She really hadn't expected him to come and tell her all of this.

"Any idea who is behind all of this?" Isshin asks Byakuya.

"Unfortunately, no. It could be her uncle, or it could be someone we're completely unaware of. Either way, we all need to take extra precautions, especially considering what happened at the party last night." Byakuya tells them.

"I was hoping you'd know." Isshin says as he scratches his chin.

"If I knew, the perpetrator would already be hunted down. If it is her uncle, he's changed his appearance, and it's even more important that your home be completely secure." Byakuya says, giving Isshin a concerned look.

"Yuzu and Karin." Isshin breathes quietly. Byakuya nods his head and Ichigo looks back and forth between them.

"What in the hell are you insinuating?" Ichigo asks with a menacing voice.

"Think about it." Byakuya tells him.

"Pedophiles like her uncle prefer younger children who have yet to reach puberty." Isshin says in a very soft voice to his son.

"If any pedophile comes into our home I'll kill them with my bare hands." Ichigo says in a growl.

"I understand." Isshin says to Byakuya, ignoring his son's outburst.

"I will also be purchasing cell phones for your entire family, and the bodyguards are available to the girls as well. Specifically Yumichika will be who they will call if they need an escort, but since he's not here yet, for now they can call Kenpachi. Nobody will approach your kids with bad intent if he's with them." Byakuya tells Isshin.

Isshin nods. He had never allowed cell phones for his kids, thinking it was unnecessary for them to have the things. He thought it made kids spoiled, but under these kinds of circumstances, that no longer mattered. It was more important they were safe, even if they did get a little bit spoiled. It's not like they have their mother, so he will graciously accept Byakuya's kindness.

"No pedophile will touch Yuzu or Karin." Ichigo says a bit more forcefully, and Rukia grabs his hand and squeezes it.

"We'll both kill him if it's my uncle." She says in a low angry voice. Ichigo's head snaps towards her.

_Of course. This is the fucker that killed her mother. She will never allow him to live if she comes face to face with him. She knows now what it means to be a pedophile and what her uncle really wanted with her when she was not old enough to protect herself. I can't imagine anyone deserve to kill him more than her._

"You both need to remember that it could be someone besides her uncle too though." Byakuya tells them. Ichigo and Rukia don't really care about that. Neither one of them can get past the idea that somewhere out there, someone could be desiring to hurt Yuzu or Karin.

"Rukia, I think we should spend the afternoon teaching them self-defense techniques." Ichigo tells her. Rukia nods.

"You're right. They need to know that they have the ability to fight back if anyone tries to attack them." She tells him. Ichigo gives her a grin.

"Karin already has that knowledge. She could still use some technique training though. Yuzu will need more training than Karin." He tells her. Rukia nods.

"That's a really good idea Ichigo." Rukia tells him, looking up at him with adoration. He really is perfect. The way he protects and loves his little sisters is one of many reasons she thinks so.

"I don't mind." Isshin says to them, giving the pair a grin.

"That's an excellent idea." Byakuya tells them with a nod. "You two both started at a much earlier age than them. You should both have useful things to teach them." Byakuya says, still amazed at how well the pair get along and seem to adore one another. He was so sure they'd regret their Omiai request from the past. He had figured one or both of them would find someone else in their teenage years that they fell for, and would resent the child they'd promised themselves to.

"I'm glad you two are taking this seriously." Isshin tells them.

"Rukia." Byakuya's voice speaks up and Rukia looks at her brother.

"I just purchased a building in town here the other day. Within a week your gymnastics apparatuses will arrive, and it will have a weight room, a track, a workout area, a dojo area, and of course a gymnastics area with all of your necessary equipment. Coach Yamasaki has agreed to come here on Sundays to train with you, and you'll be expected to train on your own when he's not there. He claimed that you had to stop slacking off since your next competition is in eight months." Byakuya informs her. Rukia smiles hugely.

"That's awesome!" Rukia says happily.

"Coach said you'll need a spotter for when he's not here. I thought Kurosaki wouldn't mind volunteering. Coach Yamasaki will show him how to spot you properly" Byakuya says, and Ichigo blushes. "Also, whenever you are at practice, both Yumichika and Ikkaku will guard the outside. You need to be able to concentrate without being worried of an attack when you're working out or training." Byakuya tells her.

"Thank you so much, Byakuya ni-sama!" Rukia says, resisting the urge to hug him. "That's so very generous of you!" she says.

It had crossed her mind more than once that she might be neglecting her gymnastics, but with Ichigo around, it was impossible to let that get to her. She's really relieved that Byakuya has done this for her, without her having to ask.

"You can of course invite any of your friends to join you as well whenever you're there." Byakuya tells her next. "This will be your own personal gym." He tells her. That means it's just like the house. It will always be hers. He always says it this way when he means something belongs to her.

"We'll be very busy between homework and working out." Rukia says with a grin. She's used to a hectic lifestyle from martial arts, gymnastics, and academics. Add Ichigo into the mix, and she'll barely have a moment to herself. She loves it when life is exciting like that.

"You're right." Ichigo tells her. "I don't mind if you're happy though." He tells her.

"I am ecstatic!" Rukia replies, and she is. She's so happy she reaches up and yanks his head down to give him a kiss on the cheek. Ichigo blushes at that.

"It looks like you two are happy." Isshin says with a chuckle.

"Where are Karin and Yuzu? I want to talk to them." Ichigo tells his father.

"They're inside. Karin was getting ready to go play soccer with her friends." Isshin tells him. Ichigo groans. That means she'll probably give him a hard time with self-defense this afternoon.

"I better go find her before she leaves then." Ichigo says before he dashes into the house, knocking over a few of the guys installing the security system in the process.

"I'll come with you!" Rukia yelps out, hurrying after him. The men who Ichigo knocked overhear her and they quickly move out of her way as she runs quickly into the house behind Ichigo.

He dashes upstairs to their bedroom and raps on their door.

"What?" Karin says with an annoyed voice through the door. Rukia finally catches up to him and stands next to him as he speaks to his sister.

"Can we come in?" Ichigo calls out.

"Ichi-ni? Who's with you?" Karin's obviously surprised.

"Rukia." Ichigo answers.

"Come in!" Yuzu's voice calls out. Ichigo opens the door and both he and Rukia step in. Karin appears to be adjusting her hat in the mirror for her planned game of soccer.

"I need the both of you to be home in two hours so that Rukia and I can give you lessons on self-defense." Ichigo tells them, getting straight to the point.

"Two hours?" Karin says with a scowl.

"Okay." Yuzu says not arguing. She can tell her brother means business.

"Don't make me track you down and drag you home." Ichigo threatens Karin who only scowls harder at him.

"You had better not!" Karin bursts out.

"Then come home in two hours. Do we have to come with you to make sure you listen? We will if we have to." Ichigo warns her. Karin blushes.

"I don't need a chaperone! Fine! I'll be home in two hours!" Karin mutters angrily.

"Don't forget, or I _will_ drag you home." Ichigo says again to make his point clear. Karin glares at him, and grabs her soccer ball before running out of her room. Yuzu smiles at them.

"I think it will be fun to be taught by both of you!" She says proudly, glad to spend quality time with her brother and Rukia.

"What are we all doing for lunch?" Ichigo asks Yuzu next. She grins at him.

"I will have sandwiches ready at noon." Yuzu says. Ichigo realizes it won't be very long until it's time for lunch.

"Alright, yell up when they're done." Ichigo tells her. He grabs Rukia's hand and drags her into his bedroom to make out with her. He shows her exactly how glad he is that she is unhurt, and he kisses her so deeply until she feels completely safe.

They kiss fervently and lovingly until they hear Yuzu calling for them. They head downstairs and find Isshin in the house, and the men installing the security system are gone.

"Where is ni-sama?" Rukia asks Isshin, looking around.

"He left right after the two of you ran inside." Isshin says with a chuckle.

Ichigo and Rukia trade relieved glances. Neither one of them wanted Byakuya hanging around. He tended to take the joy out of the atmosphere whenever he was around. Ichigo had managed to ignore it fairly well at the Miai, but he didn't relish dealing with the man on a regular basis.

They all sit down together and start to eat the sandwiches that Yuzu prepared which are as delicious as everything else she usually makes.

They all sit together chatting until Karin comes home. She makes it home five minutes early since she didn't want her brother coming and dragging her home in front of her friends.

"Okay Yuzu, can you find something to wear for working out?" Rukia asks her. Yuzu nods and runs upstairs to change. Rukia nods at Karin's clothing. "You'll be fine the way you are unless you want to change." Rukia tells her. Karin scowls and doesn't respond. Ichigo glares at his sister. He doesn't know why she's so against this, he thinks if she gives it a chance, she'll enjoy herself during training.

They wait quietly for Yuzu to return, and when she does they head out into the back yard.

"First we need to stretch." Rukia tells them. Yuzu and Karin nod, and Yuzu chooses to imitate Rukia's stretch exercises, and Karin does some of her own usual stretching that she does before she plays soccer.

Ichigo and the girls all stretch for about ten minutes and then Rukia and Ichigo sit next to each other on the ground, facing the girls to talk to them.

"If ever you were attacked, or someone tried to grab you on the street, how would you react?" Rukia asks them, causing Karin's eyes to widen, and Yuzu to gasp.

"I would kick them in their crotch." Karin answers immediately with a small grin. Rukia nods and smiles back.

"That is always one very effective way of dealing with a man." Rukia says approvingly.

"I would cry." Yuzu answers honestly.

"That is not good," Rukia tells her very softly. "You should not spend your energy on tears in a situation like that. You should fight back." Rukia explains.

"We're going to show you how to protect yourselves, and we'll even do some demonstrations for you to give you an idea of how exactly the technique works. Then you'll practice." Ichigo explains. Yuzu swallows and then nods.

"Show me your fist." Ichigo asks his sisters. Karin immediately balls her fist up in a tight grip like she does before she whips ass. Ichigo and Rukia both smile and nod.

Yuzu's fist is pitiful. She doesn't have a tight grip and her thumb positioning is off since it's tucked under her fingers. Ichigo fights the urge to sigh at her inability to even form a proper fist. Rukia shows her how to make a proper fist in quick order though.

"Grip it really tight like it's a spatula," Rukia advises her, and Yuzu's form improves considerably. Ichigo grins. Rukia is a good teacher. She is actually using Yuzu's love of cooking to help improve her defensive ability. Ichigo is impressed at her insight.

"When you punch, you should try to make your hit and pull your arm back as quickly as possible." Ichigo tells them. "You want to plant your feet so that if your punch is dodged you don't go flying forward like an idiot." Ichigo explains to them.

"Yuzu, you might find it more effective to learn a palm strike, where you use the bottom hard section of your open palm to hit with." Rukia interjects, and Ichigo nods.

"She is probably right about that." Ichigo agrees realizing it will be interesting to teach the girls together. Rukia demonstrates a palm thrust.

"Okay," Yuzu says, smiling happily at the pair. Ichigo is pleasantly surprised that Karin is paying close attention too.

"Now what would you do if someone grabbed you from behind?" Rukia asks the girls. Karin gulps.

"I'd probably try to bite and scratch and wriggle away," Karin says after a bit of contemplation. Rukia nods and looks at Yuzu.

"I would probably cry or faint." Yuzu answers promptly. Rukia is horrified, and her face shows it.

"You absolutely cannot faint." She tells Yuzu. "You have to remain as calm as you possibly can and remember that you have a way to get out of such a grip." Rukia tells them.

"How?" Karin asks her. Rukia grins.

"I'm glad you asked. For this, I'll demonstrate. Ichigo?" Rukia says as she stands to her feet. She turns her back on Ichigo and begins to act like she's walking away. Ichigo rushes up behind her and wraps a hand around her mouth and the other around her waist.

Yuzu and Karin sit in equal shock with their mouths open at Rukia's instant reaction. She jams the heel of her foot into the top of his foot, in the instep, and she viciously jams her elbow into his side and wrenches from his grasp as he cries out in pain from being stomped on the top of his foot.

"Wow, amazing!" Yuzu breathes, impressed. Her brother is in quite a bit of serious pain. That's a feat in itself.

"_Damn_." Karin breathes after her sister's comment.

"Damn it Rukia, that hurt like hell!" Ichigo growls at her. Rukia smiles sweetly at him, not at all bothered by his outburst since it helped to prove her point to the girls.

"Your sisters needed to see it done properly." She tells him. She looks at the girls while Ichigo grumbles. "I have actually used this technique in real life when I was younger, and it really does work." She tells them with a sincere nod of her head.

"I can see that," Karin says with a grin. She doesn't mind this training at all, now that Ichi-ni is in a bunch of pain. _It was worth it to come home._

"Next time don't use so much power!" Ichigo tells Rukia now that the pain is starting to subside. Rukia ignores him.

"There is a pressure point in the top of the foot that causes your attacker to react the way your brother just did." Rukia tells them.

"That was pretty cool." Karin says with a satisfied nod, earning an angry glare from Ichigo. He gets the feeling she enjoyed watching Rukia hurt him a bit too much.

"Now if someone snatches you up and plucks you into the air before you have a chance to use that technique, you should know other areas that are sensitive on the body to attack. The neck is always good. If you even jam your index finger into the center of their neck, your opponent will most likely clutch at their neck from the sudden pain of that action. They may even have difficulty breathing, depending on how well you execute the move." Rukia tells them.

"You aren't showing them that on me." Ichigo grumbles at her. Rukia smiles.

"Of course not." She tells him soothingly. She points at the spot on his neck that she had just been describing to the girls. "If you hit right in the center, at the bottom, just above the collar bone, your attacker is likely to drop you and react to the hit without attacking you further due to the stress it puts on the body."

"It only takes one finger?" Karin asks doubtfully, and Rukia nods solemnly.

"You should use two fingers if your opponent is an extremely large or fat man though, and you should not practice this technique on your friends. You could seriously injure them." Rukia warns her. Karin's eyes widen but she nods her agreement.

"It will hurt like hell if you try that," Ichigo says as he tests her theory by pressing his finger into the spot on his own neck. He's not even doing it with any violence and he can feel the pressure it is creating. It's a very useful technique for his sisters.

"Another thing you should keep in mind when attacking is that people's eyes are always vulnerable. You can shove your thumbs into their eyeballs, and you can even blind them, at least temporarily if you do it right." Rukia tells them, and Ichigo remembers the eyeball at Itou's house last night and shudders.

"If you need to, you can use your elbows to hit someone too. The hard parts of your elbows make for very good weapons," Ichigo tells his sisters.

"That's right. And another thing you want to remember about the face is that people are very sensitive in their temples. If you hit someone in their temple hard enough, you can likely knock them out, even if it's just for a split second, they'd be on the ground." Rukia tells them with a nod of her head.

"And then we should run?" Yuzu says fearfully.

"Or you can completely incapacitate your attacker by choking them." Rukia tells her. Karin's eyes get excited and Yuzu gasps at the very suggestion.

"I could never choke someone." Yuzu says in a resolute voice.

"You might have to one day. I trust that you will only use this technique if you feel your life is in danger. If you're afraid you'll never outrun your opponent, and if they try to hurt you then you shouldn't hesitate to choke them." Rukia tells Yuzu calmly. "Anyone who would attack a girl as sweet and kind as you would certainly deserve it." Rukia whispers into her ear. Yuzu blushes.

"Okay." Yuzu whispers.

"Karin, may I please see your wrist?" Rukia asks her. Karin offers Rukia her wrist and Rukia quickly shows the girls the proper way to choke someone.

"Wow that's a tight grip." Karin says in awe.

"See the way I'm squeezing and applying pressure? This way you completely cut off all air for the attacker." Rukia tells them both.

"A neck is a lot thicker than my wrist though," Karin says doubtfully.

"You want to grab onto your clothing and squeeze your forearms together as tightly as possible. I guarantee you that if you do as I tell you, it will be very effective. You will gain the upper hand in an attack if you execute this move." Rukia tells her as serious as ever.

"It works, I've seen her use it," Ichigo tells his sisters who stare at Rukia in shock.

"Really?" Yuzu squeaks.

"Really." Ichigo confirms.

The afternoon passes by quickly as Rukia teaches the girls how to kick in her style, and Ichigo demonstrates his own kicks. Yuzu ends up improving considerably, and unbeknownst to Rukia and Ichigo, her self esteem was boosted quite a bit by the afternoon of learning as well.

Karin too feels very empowered by all that she's learned. She realizes that the afternoon of learning such effective defense techniques had been more enjoyable than her earlier soccer game. She'll never admit that to Ichi-ni though.

When they all head inside the house, Isshin hands all of them, including Rukia the security code to the house, and then the panic code. He tells them that he expects them all to have the codes memorized by the end of the day.

Karin scoffs loudly, since nobody has bothered to tell them why they have a new security system or why she and Yuzu were being trained in self defense techniques all afternoon.

"We're a high tech family." Karin mutters, as she jams the codes into her pocket.

"Tomorrow morning before school, some cellular phones will arrive by delivery, and all of you will have a way to call if ever you need a ride, get lost, or need help." Isshin tells the girls.

"Really?" Karin asks wide eyed. She had thought their father would never break down like a lot of the other parents and finally buy them a cell phone.

"You'll also have your own personal body guard that you can call if ever you feel threatened or uncomfortable, but since he won't be arriving until Wednesday evening, you'll be given the number of one of Rukia's bodyguards temporarily until then." Isshin tells them both. Yuzu and Karin look up at their father in shock. Of all of the things they might have expected him to say to them, mention of their own bodyguard was never one of those things.

"Why are you suddenly so concerned about our safety?" Karin asks suspiciously to her father and her brother. Rukia somehow knew Karin would get suspicious during Isshin's droning on about all of the changes to be made.

"Sit down." Isshin tells the girls. Ichigo and Rukia sit down with them.

"This feels serious." Karin mutters unhappily. She can sense that she's not going to like whatever it is her father is going to tell her. She knows it has to be something pretty monumental to overturn his old view about kids having cell phones. Isshin sits down too.

"It is very serious." Ichigo tells her, and Karin nods and stares at her father.

"What is it, old man?" Karin asks him, she's always a straight shooter when she wants an answer to something.

Yuzu is still speechless from all of the information her father has given them since they entered the house, and she realizes right after Karin had said it was serious that she was completely right. The moves that Rukia and Ichigo had shown her were moves that could cause major damage to an attacker, and now they're going to have a security system, cell phones, and a bodyguard.

"Rukia-chan, will you tell the girls exactly what happened the night you met Ichigo?" Isshin finally asks her after a moment of silence. Rukia nods.

She quickly summarizes her first meeting with Ichigo and when the girls understand that a pedophile had been after her, they both stare at her in horror. When they find out it was her uncle, they let out identical gasps of shock.

Then Ichigo tells the girls about the intruders who busted in on the party that he and Rukia had attended the night before, and realization dawns on his sisters.

"You think it's her uncle, don't you?" Yuzu asks him quietly.

"It's possible," Ichigo allows.

"You think we're in danger, don't you?" Karin asks next. Ichigo nods his head slowly.

"We can't ignore the possibility that the two of you could be targeted by that psycho next." Ichigo tells them.

"I hope not," Yuzu says with a visible shiver.

"We're doing everything possible to make sure that doesn't happen though," Rukia tells her softly. Yuzu nods her head thoughtfully.

"Thanks for showing me how to defend myself today, I appreciate it, Rukia-chan." Yuzu says in a heartfelt voice.

"Yeah, thanks. I'm glad we got to learn some things too." Karin tells them. It seems his sisters finally understand the gravity of the situation, and Isshin sighs and shakes his head sadly.

"I'm still scared though," Yuzu tells him in an earnest voice. Ichigo gives his sister his most protective look before he speaks.

"I'm here to protect you too. I'll have a cell phone that you can call if ever you're scared or feel in trouble." Ichigo assures her.

"Me too, I can always have a driver come pick you up if you don't want a bodyguard with you, but you need a ride home." Rukia adds in. Yuzu nods gratefully.

"Thanks." Yuzu says to both her brother and Rukia.

Yuzu leaves the room to start making dinner, and Ichigo pulls Rukia back up into his room to spend a long time making out with her. With their new busy schedule to start soon, he wants to make sure he kisses her as much as possible today.


	32. Chapter 31: New Developments

Chapter 31

_New Developments_

The week flies by for Ichigo and Rukia. Most of the kids at school no longer give long lingering stares when they see the couple together, and nothing out of the ordinary happens around home, or at school.

Noriko's party had caused quite a sensation, and many people heard about how there were intruders who crashed the party and got their asses kicked. This doesn't really surprise anybody at school, there were a lot of people who attended the party who were considered the toughest and strongest in the school.

Nobody reveals that the intruders had the objective of abducting Rukia though, since Ichigo had asked everyone not to reveal that at the party. Everyone had agreed, deciding it was best that way. Everyone appeared to have kept their word since the glances in Rukia's direction were minimizing rather than multiplying.

The third body guard had come into town on Wednesday and he had come over to meet Yuzu and Karin. He clearly favored Yuzu, and complimented her more than once on being a beautiful girl. He seemed to be obsessed with beauty and had similar words of praise for Rukia. That had caused Ichigo to growl a bit at the man's blatant use of the word _beautiful_.

Yumichika had been properly impressed when he learned the girls were fraternal twins, and he revealed that it was the same for him and Ikkaku. Ichigo studied the man and realized that he does have the same nose as Ikkaku, even though they don't really look much like brothers, due to the extreme differences in clothing taste and the fact that one has hair and the other is bald.

Ichigo briefly wondered if Yumichika is as gay as Chizuru after he listened to the man talk for twenty minutes straight without letting anybody else get a word in edgewise.

Kenpachi ended up dropping by after he had noticed Ikkaku and Yumichika gone for awhile. He was considered the leader among the three of them. Ichigo thought he was terrifying. He could tell by looking at him that the man was a deadly kind of dangerous. For some reason though, both Karin and Yuzu had adored him. He liked the way Yuzu kept bringing him snacks, and he liked Karin's tough attitude.

Ichigo was a bit in shock at how everyone seemed to adjust to the new security system and bodyguards without any difficulty. The girls loved having their own cell phones, and they apparently had decided to see the benefits of the current situation rather than the downfalls of it.

Ichigo and Rukia kept up their old routine of doing their homework and making out afterwards, and Rukia kept spending dinner with the Kurosaki family. Shoko had started to join her newly found old friend for dinner since Rukia was never home, and Kenpachi came over twice during dinnertime (which Ichigo suspected he did on purpose) and Yuzu had insisted he stay and eat with the family.

Rukia and Ichigo noticed Renji and Tatsuki hanging out more frequently and as a direct result of that, Inoue and Ishida were hanging out more frequently as well. At lunchtime, Michiru sat next to Sado more than once, and everyone has started to wonder whether or not they'll get together. Keigo and Noriko are still dating and haven't broken up, even after Keigo's pitiful reaction to the intruders at the party, although he did get teased a lot all week long for having such a cowardly reaction. His girlfriend teased him as hard as the rest of them did.

Rukia and Ichigo had pulled Tatsuki, Renji, and Sado aside after school on Thursday to tell them about the private gym that would soon be available to them after school when Rukia's doing gymnastics practice.

They had all liked the sound of it, and had thanked her for her generosity in offering them the chance to workout in her own private gym. Rukia had grinned and told them that after how they had helped her out at the party that this was the least she could do to thank them.

Rukia had also told Karin and Yuzu that they were more than welcome to work out at the gym too. Only Karin had looked at all happy about that offer. Ichigo tried to coax Yuzu into going simply to practice her self-defense techniques and she had finally agreed to accompany Karin once in awhile to work on those things after she remembered that she might get confronted by a pedophile.

Rukia had taken to wearing her hidden blades everyday and even started practicing pulling the blade out when she went to bed. She got better and quicker with it, and she hoped that practicing with them would help her remember that she had them, should she encounter a similar experience to what she had at the party.

She hadn't even had to use the knife at the party since Ichigo had defended perfectly against the intruders once she'd pulled the blade out. He was the only one who had used it, and it had been for intimidation rather than for use in an attack.

Rukia didn't receive any emails from Aizen-sensei this week, and she didn't email him either. She didn't want to have to explain about how the party had gone to him. She doesn't want him to think he should revoke his offer of giving her permission to use him as a reference for her future schooling.

Even though nobody appears to be watching them this week, and nobody attacks, Rukia stays on alert all of the time. She remembers the last thing her brother had said to her the night of the party before she had given Ichigo the phone as he had instructed.

_You should stay on guard. It will probably happen again._

Rukia knows her brother truly believes that, the presence of the bodyguards had been enough to confirm that, and the way he had included Ichigo's little sisters when it came to protection showed that he thought the threat was serious. Rukia doesn't take that lightly at all.

Rukia wonders often if Ichigo's family will be targeted as punishment for him protecting her and she hopes with all of her heart that it doesn't happen that way. She could never forgive herself if Karin or Yuzu were harmed. She has already decided that like Ichigo she will protect the girls with her life, particularly if her uncle is involved. He is an evil man and he deserves a painful death.

_Mom's killer. I hope to make him pay one day, for what he did to her._

Rukia never shared these kinds of thoughts with Ichigo though, because she knows he has every intention of protecting her and his sisters. She knows he definitely would not want to hear her talking like that. She already knows he'd correct her and tell her he'll protect her. He also doesn't seem at all unnerved by the bodyguards or the security system. He seems glad that these protective measures are in place.

The bodyguards take turns patrolling Ichigo's street. They take eight hour shifts, and one of them is always nearby within shouting distance of Ichigo and Rukia's home. Byakuya has done his best to create a safe haven for the couples to be in as long as they insist on staying where they're at.

Rukia ended up getting really emotional Thursday night and she snuck out of her house and into Ichigo's house. When she had snuck into his room, she found him in a deep sleep sprawled across his bed, leaving her no place to climb in. She hadn't wanted to wake him and scare the hell out of him in his sleep, and so she had finally opened his closet and curled up inside there.

When she woke up Friday morning, she nearly jumped out of her skin. She had nudged Ichigo's closet open an inch to see what in the hell was going on, and she saw that Isshin must have tried to attack Ichigo, only to be pinned on the floor now with Ichigo over him yelling at him.

"Why do you insist on doing that every morning?" Ichigo had yelled before he'd stood and dragged his father to his feet and then he gave him a kick in the ass to send him out the door. Rukia had done her best not to make a sound, but she had desperately wanted to giggle.

The moment Ichigo got his father out of the room, he had stomped over to his closet and flung it open, and his mouth dropped open in complete shock when he found Rukia sitting there with a faint grin on her lips. He hadn't even been able to speak at first. She had been able to successfully sneak out of Ichigo's house and back over to her own house without ever having been detected by Shoko or Isshin.

On the way to school he had grumbled that she should have never slept in his closet, that instead she should have come to bed with him. He hadn't liked her arguments to the contrary either. He told her she had nearly scared him out of his skin when he'd opened his closet door. He told her next time she should wake him up and lay down with him.

Rukia had grinned and agreed, even though she had found his closet warm enough, she was infinitely more comfortable in his arms than in his closet.

On Thursday, Ichigo and Rukia made plans for Friday after dinner to go get ice cream. She really loves ice cream, and Ichigo doesn't mind taking her, especially since on Friday it always seems like there's a reason to celebrate since the weekend will finally arrive.

J J J J

Aizen has spent the week trying to come up with a new plan in regards to Kuchiki Rukia, and also preparing for Gin's arrival. He's supposed to arrive in town on Saturday, and Aizen wants to know if he's come up with any ideas for abducting the girl. He knows Gin is far more impulsive than Aizen is, but with Gin taking the risk considering the death of the girl's mother, he's still willing to listen to his ideas.

Aizen has spent a lot of time fantasizing about how wonderful it will feel to finally own Kuchiki Rukia, and how much he'll enjoy making her address him as Aizen-sama.

He knows she may be scared right now after the failed abduction attempts made on her, but it is nothing compared to the fear he wants her to feel when she is completely helpless in his underground chamber, and completely at his mercy, or lack thereof. He'll control every aspect of her life, she'll depend on him for water, sustenance, human contact, and most of all, she'll be depending on him to show her how good it feels when he is inside of her, although he doesn't ever want her to feel too much enjoyment, hence his toys.

He'll make her talk the way he wants her to talk, and he'll make sure she's always aware that he will be the center of her world the moment he gets his hands on her. Nobody else in the world will even exist to her, except for himself.

He'll make her watch hardcore pornography whenever he leaves the room, she'll fall asleep to the sounds and images of things that turn him on when he isn't in control of a pet.

He groans in pleasure as he thinks of the things he'll do to her, he's quite certain he'll remain in her company for a full twenty four hours before he's forced to take a rest. He already has pills that will help him maintain an erection for hours on end, and he's sure with her around, he'll make really good use of them.

J J J J

When the family dinner has finished Friday evening, Ichigo and Rukia walk to the ice cream shop. Ichigo is a bit surprised that he hasn't had the uneasy feeling of being watched all week, and he manages to enjoy his date with Rukia immensely. Once again they split an extra large hot fudge sundae with extra hot fudge.

"I like sharing with you, because I think it's romantic." Rukia admits, causing Ichigo to blush. He agrees with her opinion.

"I like sharing with you because I adore you," Ichigo had whispered back, causing Rukia to blush in return.

Ichigo had been surprised when she scooped up a spoonful of hot fudge and fed it to him. He had also enjoyed her feeding him hot fudge. After that, they had taken turns feeding each other and staring into each other's eyes.

When they had gotten so lost in each other while feeding each other ice cream, Rukia had even managed to forget about their worries about someone wanting her abducted. It was a pleasant surprise to her when she realized it after the fact. That no matter what she and him went through, she can actually manage to forget her worries for a little while and completely focus all of her attentions on him.

When they decide to walk around town after the fact, neither one of them feel uneasy enough to call for a bodyguard escort, and they end up making their way around town until they go back to Rukia's house.

To their surprise, Shoko is still out from having dinner with her friend, and so Rukia and Ichigo take this opportunity to make love. They use their hands and their mouths to bring each other to a heated frenzy before they make passionate love. When Ichigo finally collapses on top of her, she sighs in a happy and satisfied manner before she hugs him close to her.

He hugs her back and marvels at how great life has become now that she's in it. He realizes he has these thoughts a lot, and he finds the intensity of his feelings to be a bit surprising. He never knew that love could be this deep, this wonderful, and this pleasurable. He also never knew that holding Rukia could make him feel like he had attained a piece of heaven itself.

She owns a piece of his soul, and he never feels complete unless he is with her. That's what makes knowing someone wants to kidnap her scary. He cannot let anybody take her away from him, since she does own such an important piece of his soul.

He closes his eyes and rests his head up against Rukia's chest where he can clearly hear her beating heart. He feels like it beats for him, like his beats for her. He closes his eyes and dozes off to these romantic thoughts.

Rukia hears his breathing start to steady out and she knows he's fallen asleep, but she just puts her arms around him and sighs happily. Her bed never feels this comfortable when he's not in it with her. She loves how even though there's plenty of room for him to be in his own space, he prefers to cuddle up to her.

She likes it best when she's in his arms or when he's in hers. As long as they're holding each other, it seems like everything is right in the world. She grins whenever she has these kinds of fanciful thoughts since they're so unrealistic and yet they apply so perfectly for her love to him.

She lets him sleep in her arms until she hears Shoko arrive home. She quickly wakes him and they hurry into their clothes so as not to get caught naked by the elderly woman who would surely disapprove, but probably wouldn't say a word. When they are dressed, Rukia and he head downstairs just as Shoko is closing her bedroom door.

They exchange glances. If she heard his footsteps, she was obviously making sure she didn't have to confront them. They had gone and sat on her couch together to kiss passionately for about an hour before Ichigo finally left to go home. When he'd left, Rukia had let out a big dreamy sigh when she remembered the perfect feeling of laying in his arms without any clothes on.

She slowly walks up to her bathroom where she runs the water and removes her clothing. She lays soaking in the tub for a long time before she finally gets out and gets into her pajamas.

Before she lays down, she glances out the window towards Ichigo's bedroom. His lights are off and Rukia lets out a happy sigh. She is so glad that he's right next door. She feels so much safer knowing he can hear her if she screams, and she can escape to his house anytime she wants since she has the security code, courtesy of Isshin.

When she falls asleep that night she has strange sexual dreams, of rough and persistent sex. The disturbing factor of the dream however is that she never once can see the face of the man that is thrusting in and out of her. She wakes up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and sneaks back over to Ichigo's house. This time she crawls into bed with him.

J J J J

When Ichigo wakes up in the morning with Rukia cuddling in his arms, he feels blissfully happy. He knows that he cannot wait until she doesn't have to sneak into his bed for him to wake up looking at her. He squeezes her a bit in his happiness and places a kiss on her forehead.

"Rukia, you're going to have to get back over to your house before my dad busts in here." Ichigo whispers, hating that he has to wake her up. He'll protect her from being caught by his father with the same devotion that he protects her from being abducted by psychos.

Rukia moans a little bit in her sleep, but she doesn't open her eyes, and Ichigo has a sudden burst of desire as he looks at her face. He tips her chin up and starts nibbling on her lip the way she seems to like and she lets out a pleased little moan. Ichigo gives her a little moan back before she finally opens her eyes and gives him a peaceful smile.

"Good morning, Ichigo," she whispers in apparent happiness.

"Good morning, Rukia." Ichigo whispers back.

"I can't believe how well I slept after I joined you in bed," Rukia says before she lets out a dainty yawn.

"It was nice to wake up holding you," Ichigo admits with a grin.

"You're right though, I should sneak back home, bathe, change, and then hurry back over here to spend the day with you, since none of our friends are throwing a wild party tonight." Rukia tells Ichigo with a suggestive smile.

"Yes, you should definitely hurry. I'm going to jump in the shower and then wait for you to join my family for breakfast." Ichigo says, placing a kiss on her cheek. "How are you going to get out of here anyways?" He asks her. She grins at him.

"I'm going to flip down to the first floor outside of your house." She tells him. Ichigo's face turns completely white.

"You can't do that, what if you kill yourself in the process?" He asks her urgently. Rukia gives him a cocky grin.

"It will be alright, I'm a top notch gymnast." Rukia assures him. "If I hang from your window ledge with my hands I should be able to push off of the outside of the house with my feet. I'll flip down and land as though I just dismounted from the uneven bars." Rukia tells him with a smile of confidence.

"We need to get a second ladder for my room. I don't like you taking those kinds of risks. I'm sure your gymnastics coach would be appalled." Ichigo tells her with a wide eyed look. "What if you smack your head up against the side of the house?" Ichigo asks her next.

"I don't think that will happen." Rukia says to him with a frown.

"You don't know for sure though, do you? No. Let me just lower you to the ground with my blanket, then you'll only have about two or three meters or so to drop, you should be able to land without injury then." Ichigo tells her. Rukia sighs.

"Fine." Rukia tells him sullenly. Ichigo hands her one end of the blanket once she's on the window ledge hanging on. She grabs on tight and he lowers her down as far as he can until he can't go any further without flying out of the window himself. He's relieved when he sees her land lightly on the ground without any difficulty. She dashes over to her own house and hurries in.

Ichigo barely has his blanket back in his room when his father busts in as loud as can be and rushes forward to attempt to deck Ichigo. Ichigo stops his father's plan with his foot, and kicks him repeatedly.

"How many times do I have to tell you before you get the point?" Ichigo shouts in frustration. Isshin turns tail and runs at Ichigo's savage morning temper.

"You have vastly improved my son!" Isshin shouts once he's in the safety of the hallway. Ichigo glares out at him.

"Shut up first thing in the morning!" Ichigo yells before he grabs a book off of his desk and hurls it towards his father's head. Isshin ducks out of the way, just in time and runs off down the hallway. Ichigo sighs. He grabs his towel and heads for the bathroom. He had only barely gotten Rukia out in time. He's sure his father would give them a long ass lecture if he knew Rukia's newest habit in the middle of the night.

When Rukia finally makes her way back over, she is just in time to eat breakfast with the Kurosaki family, and she reveals to them all that the gym will be ready for her gymnastics practice the next day, and that everyone could start going on Monday if they wanted to. Only Ichigo would be joining her for official gymnastics practice with her coach.

Everyone seems in a good mood throughout breakfast, and Ichigo decides to ask her if there's anything she would like to do in Karakura Town before life gets all hectic.

"I want you to take me around town, and tell me about growing up here," Rukia tells him happily. Ichigo nods.

"Okay."

Ichigo takes her back to the dojo she had visited with him as a child. He tells her about a lot of his learning experiences there, and he's surprised when he runs into Tatsuki. She looks embarrassed.

"I just wanted to go for a walk since I woke up early," Tatsuki tells them when they give her a look of surprise. Rukia nods understandingly.

"Renji likes to sleep until early afternoons on the weekend." Rukia explains to Ichigo who smirks at Tatsuki.

"I get it," Ichigo says to Rukia causing Tatsuki to blush furiously.

"Don't make assumptions like that!" Tatsuki says for lack of any better defense.

"Are we wrong?" Rukia asks her pointedly. Tatsuki can only blush for a full moment before she answers.

"I just wanted to go for a walk, why does it have to be more than that?" Tatsuki finally says, knowing she doesn't sound at all convincing. Not even to herself.

"If you say so…" Rukia gives her a skeptical look.

"Well I'm going to keep going on my walk, I'll see the two of you later." Tatsuki says with obvious discomfort.

"See you," Ichigo says, shaking his head at Rukia. "I hope she's not in denial to herself, that will make everything way more stressful." Ichigo predicts.

"She'll be alright." Rukia says, tugging on his arm. "Where are we going to go next?" She asks him with a grin. Ichigo smiles and walks her in the direction of his elementary school.

"You'll see." He tells her with a grin as he grips her hand more tightly for a moment.

J J J J

"I can't believe I'm finally here, I'm sorry I got held up a couple of days." Gin tells Aizen with a look of relaxation. He can't believe how great it feels to be back in his homeland. Everything is so familiar, and he hadn't realized how homesick he had been until he had come back.

"Think nothing of it. We have a lot of things to discuss." Aizen tells him as they drive back to his home.

"It's too bad you don't have the girl already, it's really been a hassle, huh?" Gin says sympathetically.

"A minute delay, that is all." Aizen says with a confidence he doesn't completely feel, but nevertheless he will not allow Gin to see his doubts.

"It wasn't so easy trying to catch her when she was a kid, I'm not all that shocked that it's still not easy now." Gin tells Aizen as he runs a hand through his hair and smiles so that his eyes cannot be seen.

"The rewards will be well worth the effort, I'm sure." Aizen tells Gin with a look of anticipation.

"It sounds like you have some big plans for her." Gin says breezily.

"For you as well." Aizen tells him with a serious note in his voice. Gin glances at him and wonders if he's talking about the deal to give him the kid when he gets her pregnant.

"Oh yeah? What are your big plans for me?" Gin asks with a curious note in his voice.

"You will be one of the tools that I use in order to break Kuchiki Rukia." Aizen tells him with a quiet menace.

"If she's developed breasts, it will be awhile before you get to use me as a tool." Gin tells him honestly.

"I know how you feel about breasts." Aizen says, not adding that he'll never understand it. Gin needs to feel like he's understood.

"You're the only one who gets it." Gin says sulkily. "I had to pay a man to have alone time with his daughter for the past two years. Otherwise I had to risk getting caught." Gin admits, to Aizen's surprise.

"A man let you pay to have time with his daughter?" Aizen asks him, wanting the details of this story. Gin grins, he can hear the note of curiosity in Aizen's voice.

"Well, it was his stepdaughter, but she called him dad. He was raising her since his wife had died, and her real father was dead too. He ran into a bit of gambling debt and I offered to help him out, at a price. He had been so relieved that he'd been willing to offer me anything. When I demanded to have his daughter spend the night in my home for purposes of pleasure, he looked like he'd been hit with a bat, but he agreed. He was a fool at the gambling table. I was able to take the girl home often." Gin tells him.

"How old was she?" Aizen asks in awe.

"When I first brought her home she was six. She is eight now and I arranged one last visit with her before I flew out here." Gin tells him. Aizen can hardly believe that Gin was able to get away with it for so long.

"Didn't your neighbors ask who the child was?" Aizen asks him with barely concealed surprise.

"Yes. I told them she was my niece. Nobody questioned anything. The girl didn't speak to anyone. She didn't like when I showed up to take her home with me either." Gin admits with a grin.

"That didn't stop you though did it?" Aizen asks, still amazed at the story he just heard.

"No, I just told her the truth, that if she didn't come with me, she'd end up homeless and hungry. She cried at first but when I explained that her coming with me was saving both her and her stepfather's life, she stopped disappearing when I'd show up. She still cried though." Gin tells him.

"Truly amazing. How did the father react when you told him you were coming back here?" Aizen asks him.

"He's already promised me that if I want him to send her here for a week, he'll gladly do so at the right price. He stopped feeling guilty a long time ago." Gin tells him.

"Are you going to take him up on his offer?" Aizen asks him. Gin shrugs. "Probably, since it will be quite awhile before I get the kid." Gin says absentmindedly.

"About Rukia, she seems to have a young man who is proactive in protecting her." Aizen tells him, switching the subject. He has had enough of Gin's attraction with young children.

"Really?" Gin says. "Know anything more than that?" Gin asks.

"Kira will be at the house tonight to tell you the details that he gained from his men. We have a lot more information after the last attempt. Including that the girl is not afraid to fight back as well." Aizen warns him.

"Kira eh, I remember when you saved his ass. I wonder if he'll remember me." Gin asks him. Kira had been just a bit too old for Gin's tastes when he had first met Aizen, and it had been while Gin was hiding out with Aizen right after he had killed Kiyoko.

Aizen had seen the boy rob an old woman at knifepoint and when a cop had run up to them after the occurrence, Aizen had lied to the officer and told them it couldn't possibly be this boy since he had been walking around with him for the entire evening. That was the first of many times that Aizen provided Kira with an alibi. Aizen had even paid for the kid to get a decent education as long as he promised to remain loyal to Aizen.

The kid had cried. He had been so grateful, and Aizen had financed the rest of his youth, and had gotten him into decent schools. When he had graduated, he'd gotten into some more serious trouble with a bank robbery that Aizen had once again saved him from. He once again pledged to do whatever Aizen asked of him in repayment.

He's probably really pissed off that he couldn't come through for Aizen. Gin wonders what Kira will have to say to him about Rukia and the boy that apparently protects her. According to Aizen, Kira had actually come up with a threatening number of men to attack the girl and they had completely failed.

J J J J

Ichigo and Rukia end up walking all around town before they stop for fast food. They enjoy eating together as they chat, and Rukia discusses more of her childhood with him, in regards to gymnastics training, martial arts training, and school.

Ichigo enjoys spending the day with her, and he's certain life can only be this good when she is next to him, smiling in happiness.

They walked hand in hand everywhere and he even showed her a couple of places that Sado has played with his band.

Rukia finds the day highly enjoyable when she spends it with Ichigo. She enjoys seeing where he went to school, learned karate, played, and she even enjoyed him telling her about several confrontations that he had gotten into in Karakura Town due to the color of his hair.

When they're heading home, Rukia decides to have a heartfelt talk with Ichigo.

"It's amazing how smoothly everything is going for us, I can't ever seem to get over it," Rukia says, giving him a look that shows her awe.

"I wouldn't call it smooth considering the two attempts at abducting you." Ichigo says with a chuckle.

"That's not what I meant!" Rukia says, blushing at the way he's amused at her.

"I know, you meant that it's amazing that we get along so well together, and fell back in love so quickly and easily." Ichigo says, letting go of her hand and putting his arm around her shoulder. He hauls her close, and then leans down to kiss the top of her head.

"Exactly. It has all worked out so well, it's like a dream. Everyday I find myself more and more amazed that I found you when I was so young, and everyday that I am with you, I love you even more. I love you so much I can feel it bursting from every part of my body." Rukia whispers, looking up at him. Ichigo feels a lump in his throat. He understands what she means completely.

"I have those same thoughts." Ichigo admits softly, giving her a look of complete adoration.

"It's like there's this connection between us or something," Rukia continues, and Ichigo likes the way she's talking.

"We probably love each other more than a lot of married couples out there," he says, his voice laced with amusement.

"I'm so lucky to have you." Rukia tells him.

"I hope Shoko isn't home so that I can show you how much I love you." Ichigo tells her huskily.

"I want to show you too," Rukia tells him. Ichigo tightens his hold around her.

Everything about her excites the hell out of him, and he thinks it's because of how deeply he's fallen in love with her. Her smile, her touch, the way she looks at him, it all affects him so strongly. He knows he's damned lucky to have such an amazing connection with her, and that it hasn't changed from childhood to now.

"It's been such a peaceful week." Ichigo tells her in a low voice.

"I want it to stay this peaceful. Nobody breaking into any homes, nobody being tied up, no bloody eyeballs laying on the floor…it's a much nicer way of life." Rukia tells him.

"I think we'll all be emotionally traumatized by that eyeball for the rest of our lives," Ichigo says, grimacing.

"It was definitely a new experience, how many people can say that they've seen a sight like that?" Rukia asks him with a laugh.

"I don't think that's an experience that most people yearn for though, so I don't think they'd envy us for that." He tells her with a grin.

"They all envy our love for one another though, it makes me feel like I'm on cloud nine!" Rukia tells him in a light and happy voice.

"Maybe we're a good influence on our friends," Ichigo tells her, thinking about Tatsuki and Renji.

"I agree. Tatsuki and Renji could totally have something amazing together. They would be a lot like us with a Gracie Jiu-jitsu expert being with karate expert." Rukia tells him, smiling.

"I think they get along well enough, although I doubt they could ever have what we share." Ichigo tells her, squeezing her arm.

"I want them to though, I wish everybody could experience the amazing feelings of the love that you and I share with one another." Rukia says wistfully.

"I only care that we have that kind of love. They can all worry about their own love lives. My concern is you." Ichigo tells her softly.

When they get to Rukia's house, they both smile hugely at the fact that she isn't home, and Ichigo throws Rukia over his shoulders and takes the steps three at a time to get her up into her bed as quickly as possible.


	33. Chapter 32: Young Love & The Plot

Chapter 32

_Young Love & The Plot_

Ichigo and Rukia arrive at the gym at half past ten in the morning to meet her coach, complete with escorts Kenpachi and Ikkaku. Ichigo hasn't shared it with Rukia, but he's excited to be spotting her and participating in her gymnastics practice. He isn't so huge headed that he doesn't believe he can't learn anything new.

He particularly wants to pay attention to her coach's advice when it comes to tumbling, since it's one of Rukia's strengths, and Ichigo is pretty good at tumbling moves himself.

When Rukia gets out of the dressing room which she had been dazzled by considering the luxuriousness of it, Ichigo's heart beats faster at the sight of her in a leotard he's never seen on her before. It's mostly black, but the midsection is light pink. It really looks fantastic on her, and he decides to join her when she stretches. He's really impressed by what he's seen of the gym. Rukia has all kinds of mats and apparatuses including a low beam and a high beam.

Her brother had spared no expense whatsoever, the lighting is magnificent, and everything looks brand new. There's even an inviting whirlpool in the gym, to relax your muscles after a hard workout, and a sauna.

Ichigo had taken a look at the dojo area while he had waited for Rukia to appear, and he had noticed that there were several pieces of equipment that he couldn't wait to try out, including several different types of punching bags, one is even designed in the shape of a person.

There are mirrors all over the place and Ichigo can see speakers attached to the ceilings so that music can be played throughout the gym. This is probably mainly for her to work on her floor exercises, but Ichigo can tell everything is expensive. There are several phones in the room too, in case of a need to call the police or to call friends to invite them over.

The lighting is excellent inside as well, and he thinks that Rukia is really lucky to have all of this nearby so that she doesn't have to stop doing her gymnastics.

Her practice lasts two and a half hours, and her coach demonstrates to Ichigo the proper way to spot her. Ichigo thinks he's a little bit hard on Rukia, but she doesn't seem to mind it all. By the end of her practice, Ichigo is spotting her and her coach is standing back, although not far, monitoring both of them.

Ichigo had gotten the hang of it quickly. Basically he's supposed make sure she doesn't hit her head if she flies head first towards the ground. That's his main duty, is to just make sure she stays safe, and since he's already used to doing that he has no problem with doing it for her practice.

When the coach declares practice finished, he leaves Rukia and Ichigo in the gym alone, and Ichigo grabs her up into his arms while she's in her sexy leotard, even though she's a bit sweaty and he gives her a passionate kiss. She kisses him back with as much enthusiasm as he feels, and he lifts her into his arms, and she wraps her legs around him.

"Are there security cameras here?" Ichigo whispers to her. Rukia smiles at him.

"There are outside and inside focusing on all of the exits, but none in here or the dressing rooms." Rukia tells him with a wink.

"Then we should go skinny dipping." Ichigo tells her, eyeing the whirlpool. Rukia's eyes widen in excitement. She blushes beautifully.

"Let me go wash the sweat off of my body first," Rukia whispers. You go and make sure the bodyguards stay outside while we stay here." Rukia tells him. Ichigo grins. He goes to tell the bodyguards, and he doesn't miss their knowing smiles. Ichigo is tempted to deck them both but then there would be nobody to guard the place.

He settles for slamming the door on their soft chuckling and he stomps back over to the area of the whirlpool. He bites his lower lip in excitement and anticipation. He can't wait to get his fiancé all naked inside of it.

When Rukia comes back, dripping from the shower with one towel around her, and another in her hand for him, he sheds his clothes as quickly as his hands can pull them off. She hangs up his towel while watching him get naked out of the corner of her eyes.

He watches in total appreciation when she pulls off her towel and hangs it on the towel bar next to the towel she brought for him. He lets his eyes feast on the sight of her completely nude. She's absolutely magnificent and perfectly proportional.

He holds open his arms and she walks into them, and they hold each other naked for a moment before he lets go of her and walks down the steps that lead into the whirlpool. She follows him in and they immediately start kissing as the water laps all around their bodies.

"Rukia…" Ichigo mutters in between kisses. His passion is raising to a heart pounding level and he can't ever get over how phenomenal it feels to have her in his arms, completely naked, skin against skin. He loves feeling the softness of her against him. She's mesmerizing and perfect and he feels himself losing to the flurry of desire inside of him. He lowers his head and starts sucking on her nipples.

Rukia lets out a delighted gasp at his familiar foreplay that gets her so hot and excited that she starts to quickly lose control of herself and give into the wanton feelings welling up within her. She looks down at his face as he runs his tongue all around her nipple and she gasps when he nibbles on it in a non-painful very stimulating way.

Ichigo loves it. He loves the way she responds and he takes the breast he doesn't have his mouth on with his other hand and he starts to rub the nipple until it hardens under his finger before he switches his mouth to that one, giving her the same exciting feelings on the other side.

Rukia is running her hands up and down his arms, and squeezing his shoulders tightly as she moans from the pleasure he's raining down on her body.

He comes back up to kiss her neck, her mouth, and then her face. He rolls his tongue around on her neck applying enough pressure to give her a tingling sensation and she closes her eyes and lets the waves of pleasure wash over her body, over and over again with each stroke of his tongue, and each kiss of his lips.

His hands are everywhere, and she loves it. He's touching her in all of her most intimate places, and when his fingers take hold of the nub between her legs, he lets out a cry of sweet pleasure. Ichigo watches in loving fascination at the way she reacts to his touch, and the noises she's making as he strokes and nudges her in this intimate way. He watches her face and he feels the desire in his body just raging out of control.

Pleasing her gets him more turned on than anything. The look of anticipation and pleasure that are shining from her eyes just makes him want to take her then and there, but he hold off, for her to have everything he knows she deserves. He keeps kissing her and touching her and she squirms delightfully in his arms, and he smiles because never once does she try to squirm away from him.

"Don't make me wait anymore, I want you." Rukia says in a voice just above a whisper. Her desires are clearly expressed in her voice. Ichigo gives her a look of adoring love as she stares up at him.

"I want you too, Rukia." Ichigo whispers in a way that Rukia finds totally sexy.

"I want to try something," Rukia says with a blush. Ichigo raises his eyebrow and gives her the most ultimately sexy grin.

"Oh?" Ichigo says, interested in what she has to say. Rukia can't say it and so she positions herself to be standing in front of him, as she leans over a little and grasps the edge of the whirlpool with her hands.

"I want to try it like this." Rukia tells him with a blush. Ichigo comes up behind her and reaches his hand around and runs his hand up from her stomach to her breast and he positions himself to let his hardness run all around until he finds the spot she's been waiting for him to find.

He eases himself inside of her and he groans at the pleasure of it. She's as tight as she always is, and he can feel her trembling as he grabs her breast and thrusts faster and harder. He feels so good he can't do anything other than call out her name from time to time in between his own moans of pleasure. Rukia calls out his name as well, and damn does _that_ turn him on.

"Rukia…" Ichigo moans it with as much feeling as he can let out considering he's working all of his muscles to give her maximum enjoyment.

"Ichigo….oh Ichigo!" Rukia calls out in a soft yet urgent voice, and it gets a bit louder the second time she says his name.

Ichigo can't hold back anymore. He frantically keeps thrusting even as he can feel himself exploding inside of her. He groans from the intensity of this feeling and when he feels it subside, he sags up against her back.

"Damn Rukia….damn." Ichigo whispers feeling really drained.

"We might get overheated if we stay in here," Rukia tells him weakly. Ichigo nods and they both get out and grab their towels. Ichigo stares at her, wondering how it's possible for her to make him feel _that_ good. He finally glances back towards the whirlpool and then he shoots her the sexy grin that makes her legs weak.

"Well, that has been properly christened." Ichigo tells her, and Rukia giggles.

"It was perfect." Rukia whispers as she walks towards him. Ichigo waits with his heart thumping as she stands before him. He leans down and grabs her hair in his hands before he places a kiss of gratitude for all that she gives him onto her lips.

Rukia opens her mouth a tiny bit and Ichigo willingly slips his tongue in to deepen the kiss. She kisses him back excitedly and she doesn't notice when her towel comes undone and drops to the floor. He kisses her for a good minute and when he pulls back and opens his eyes, they widen at the sight of her naked body right there in front of him once again.

Rukia blushes and quickly grabs her towel, rewrapping it around her, even though she was secretly pleased by his looks of obvious admiration whenever he sees her body without anything covering it.

"I still don't know how you do it." Ichigo says, giving her a look of disbelieving wonder. Rukia smiles.

"What do I do?" Rukia asks him with a beautiful smile. She loves the way he's looking at her right now.

"What you do to me. I just don't know how you do it. The way you make me want to do nothing more than make you happy. You make me feel so much love that I feel like I live only for you." Ichigo tells her quietly.

"It's no different for me," Rukia admits as she reflects on the beautiful words that he just said to her. The way her love for him keeps growing hasn't slowed down one bit.

"I'd rather die than to live without the love of my life." Ichigo tells her softly. "It's not the same kind of desire I have for other people although that's fairly strong as well, losing you would be a nightmare, hell on earth for me. I could never get over something like that." Ichigo tells her, warming her heart.

"Are you real?" Rukia asks him with wonder in her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if you're an angel disguised as a human." Rukia tells him with emotion filling her voice.

"I'm your guardian angel. It's like my parents had a premonition when they picked my name for me. It fits so well, since I will guard you with my life." Ichigo tells her. It should have sounded so corny that she should have laughed, but she didn't. Considering how he's saved her over and over again, his words ring true in her ears.

"I think you're just trying to get me so in love with you that I'm wrapped around your little finger," Rukia says, giving him a grin.

"If anybody is wrapped around anybody's finger, it's me wrapped around yours. It's not like I could ever forgive myself if I ever hurt you." Ichigo tells her roughly.

"You've never hurt me and I doubt you ever would or could." Rukia tells him softly.

"I'm glad." Ichigo tells her in a relieved voice. Rukia smiles and glances around the room.

"Isn't this amazing? My brother really went all out on this gym." Rukia says with appreciation.

"It's totally sweet. I think working out here will be a blast. It's like our own private hangout away from home." Ichigo tells her with a smile.

"I don't know how private it will be, our friends are likely to fall in love with it too," Rukia tells him, and Ichigo grins at her.

"The only thing it's missing is a pool." Ichigo tells her with wide eyes. Rukia shakes her head at him.

"It has a pool." She tells him. "Didn't you check out the dressing rooms? The other side of them connects to an indoor pool." Rukia tells him. Ichigo is shocked. He hadn't even noticed. He had seen the sauna and the luxurious dressing rooms, but he hadn't imagined he would miss a pool.

"Damn. It has everything." Ichigo says, with huge eyes.

"It's fantastic, there's everything we could want, and if we're missing anything, there's still room for more equipment. All I have to do is tell my brother what I want and he'll have it brought here." Rukia says with a smile.

"He really was more than generous." Ichigo breathes as he stares around once again.

"Want to try out the punching bags?" Rukia asks him with a smirk. Ichigo gives her a cocky grin back.

"I've been wanting to do that since I spotted them. Lets go get dressed and then we'll work out a bit." Ichigo tells her. Rukia nods.

She notices the refrigerator that is in between the men's and women's dressing rooms. She opens it and is pleased to find bottled water, and different kinds. Regular or flavored. She also spots some of her favorite sports beverages in there. Rukia grabs a bottle of water and goes into the dressing room to change into her workout clothes.

Ichigo notices the refrigerator on his way out of the dressing room, and he opens it to see the water as well. He looks at it like it's heaven and he grabs a bottle. He doesn't have to wait long for Rukia, she comes out in a cute dark gray workout getup, and she seems to have finished half of the bottle of water that she had taken.

"I see you spotted the refrigerator," Rukia says with a smile before she takes another gulp of water. Ichigo nods as he does the same. He feels so much better now that he's drinking some cold refreshing water. He finally pulls the water bottle away from his lips and takes a big gasping breath.

"Damn, that really hit the spot." Ichigo tells her as he still gasps for air.

They walk over to the dojo area where the punching bags are set up. Ichigo wants a crack at the human looking one, and Rukia sees him looking at it like he wants to hit it. She grins.

"Go for it," she tells him when he gives her a questioning glance. He gives her a shit grin smile as he lets loose on the punching bag. She watches, transfixed as he lets loose a barrage of attacks on the bag. He strikes very critical parts of the body, or at least they would be critical parts-if the body was real.

He doesn't notice her watching him closely and he really goes at the man bag with as much power as he can, considering his earlier naughty workout with Rukia. He doesn't want that to affect his ability to fight and so he doesn't let himself slack off, he really goes at the thing for several minutes before he finally backs away, taking some deep breaths.

"My turn!" Rukia says excitedly. She really wanted to try it after watching him go at it for so long.

Ichigo leans over to catch his breath as Rukia punches and kicks at the bag. She seems to enjoy it as much as he had, and he grins at that fact. He stands up and watches her attack the bag. She really is an anomaly, being so tiny and tough at the same time. He feels like he's addicted to her and he doesn't think he can ever get enough of Rukia.

When she finally stops to catch her breath, she sees Ichigo walking over to her tumbling area where he does a few handsprings. His form is excellent too. He looks like a natural gymnast as he tumbles across her mats. She watches as he performs a handspring into a flip. She can hardly believe he's athletic enough and flexible enough to perform these moves with such ease.

He finally stops and he realizes she was watching him and is obviously impressed by his abilities.

"I always knew you were an amazing tumbler, ever since you did that one move to the thug in America." Rukia tells him quietly. He looks at her with surprise.

"That's what gave it away?" Ichigo asks her with confusion.

"It was mind boggling. I could hardly believe the way you dispatched that guy, I never imagined doing a handspring onto someone's shoulders like that. It was practically inhuman it was so amazing." Rukia tells him. Ichigo blushes.

"That's my trademark move. I developed it right before my mom died. She had suggested I develop a special martial arts move in honor of you, and I developed it on my own. My instructor was amazed at my ability to execute it so flawlessly, since if the target moves, you end up just landing or falling on your face depending on who you are, but most people will freeze when you flip into the air. Most people aren't prepared to handle an attack like that." Ichigo tells her.

"It's in honor of me?" Rukia squeaks, she feels so privileged.

"It's funny it captured your attention the way it did, considering it's my honorary move, dedicated to you." Ichigo says with a surprised grin.

"I don't know what to say, I'm so touched! Now I want to learn it!" Rukia says with a laugh. Ichigo nods.

"It will probably be really easy for you. You should probably practice on a dummy before you practice on a real person though. The good thing about this move in a real fight is that even if you screw it up a bit with the landing, your foot usually ends up kicking the opponent, which is why I don't think you should start of practicing on me, until you get the hang of positioning." Ichigo tells her.

"Dummies?' Rukia asks with confusion.

"I still have the ones my parents made for me to practice with. I'll have to get them out of storage, and we'll bring them here for you to start practicing with." Ichigo tells her. Rukia nods appreciatively.

"Can you even imagine what it would look like if we got confronted at the same time by two different people and we used this move at the same time to take them down? It would be so artistic!" Rukia says with a big smile.

"It would be bloody." Ichigo predicts. Rukia grins.

"Even better," she tells him with a wink. He shakes his head.

"Aren't you a bloodthirsty little-" he's silenced by Rukia punching him in the gut.

"Those words do not please me!" Rukia says in a loud voice. Ichigo starts to laugh.

"You sound like a princess or something," Ichigo can't stop laughing and Rukia crosses her arms.

"Well when you say you'll protect me, you sound like a prince!" Rukia replies triumphantly, and Ichigo grimaces at that comparison.

"Don't make me sound like I'm gay." Ichigo tells her. Rukia gives him a perplexed look.

"Since when are princes gay?" She asks him, not getting it.

"Not so much gay as corny." Ichigo explains. Rukia grins.

"You ready to head home?" Rukia ask him. Ichigo nods.

They take the car, and get about halfway home, but Rukia suddenly stops the driver, and tells him to wait. Ichigo watches in confusion as she jumps out of the car and runs back the way they just drove by. Ichigo hauls ass to run after her, and when he catches up to her, he sees her peeking around a corner.

A young boy maybe a little older than Yuzu is standing there picking on her. Ichigo wants to go kick his ass, but Rukia firmly holds his arm.

"This is the perfect opportunity for her to practice her moves. We'll only interfere if she freezes up or starts to get overpowered." Rukia tells him. Ichigo narrows his eyes. He doesn't much like that, but he listens, with his fists clenched.

Yuzu is really upset since this boy told her she didn't have any boobs, and then he told her she might never grow any. He's just standing there in a threatening manner, and instead of being afraid, like she normally would be, she finds herself getting a bit angry that this boy is picking on her.

"I'm only eleven!" Yuzu cries out in defense of herself.

"So you think you'll grow some boobs so I can grab them?" He taunts her.

"I would never let you touch me." Yuzu declares angrily.

"Like you could stop me! You're so puny, what makes you think I'd want to touch you?" He asks her. Yuzu just glares at him.

"Get lost," Yuzu tells him, using one of her brother's favorite comments to Karin.

"You little-" The boy starts to come forward but Yuzu kicks her foot out in Karin fashion and pegs him between the legs with perfect precision. The boy doubles over to the ground. Yuzu runs off, not towards Ichigo and Rukia.

Ichigo stares in amazement, his weak little sister just defended herself, and quite effectively! His eyes narrow at the punk who had dared to threaten to touch his sister, and Rukia doesn't hold him back this time.

"Yo, you little shit fucker." Ichigo says in a deep menacing growl. The kid looks up, still in pain from Yuzu's kick and can barely respond.

"I can't move…" The kid mutters.

"Good. Because I wouldn't want you to run off when I ask you this question. What in the hell did you just say to my little sister?" Ichigo asks the kid. He suddenly is able to put aside the raging pain in his nuts and he looks up in complete and total fear into a pair of unforgiving brown eyes, peering at him with a sadistic look.

"Your little sister?" The kid squeaks, feeling like maybe he made some sort of dreadful mistake.

"Yeah, my kid sister, what in the hell did you just say to her, in particular, what did you say about touching her in the future?" Ichigo asks the kid, and his eyes widen in as he really regrets picking on her.

"Um…" The kid responds, unable to repeat the words.

"Should I rip off your hands so that you're never given the opportunity to touch my sister when she gets a little older?" Ichigo asks him quite seriously. The kid starts shaking his head furiously and his eyes well up with tears.

"No…no you shouldn't do that!" The kid says fearfully.

"But you threatened to feel her up, don't deny it, I heard you loud and clear." Ichigo tells him as he keeps staring at the kid with the same deadly look.

"I heard you too," Rukia pipes up behind him.

"See, she heard you too. How in the hell am I supposed to make sure you never grope my sister, what assurances do I have if I let you leave here with your hands or even your life?" Ichigo asks him in a menacing voice. The kids eyes widen to huge proportions.

"I won't ever do it!" The kid says fervently.

"How can I be sure of that though?" Ichigo asks him. A wet spot appears on the front of the kid's pants as he shakes in obvious fear.

"I swear it!" The kid says in a frantic voice.

"Okay, I'll take you at your word, but I still don't think you got all that you deserved for what you've already said to her," Ichigo says as he pulls his fist back. The kid stares up at Ichigo in fear, and Ichigo lets loose. He hits the kid so hard that blood starts coming out of his nose immediately, and it's obvious his nose is broken.

The kid screams in pain and jumps to his feet and takes off as fast as his legs can carry him. Tears are falling down his face fast.

"I think he'll leave her alone from now on." Rukia says with a grin.

"He'd better." Ichigo grumbles. "It's not like I like beating up little kids, but he went way too far, he was talking like a grown man as far as I was concerned, a _really sick_ grown man." Ichigo clarifies.

"I agree. I was reminded of his age when he peed his pants though," Rukia tells him.

"Hopefully he remembers that the next time he bullies a girl." Ichigo tells her as he grabs her hand and leads her back to the car. They get in and head home.

J J J J

When Yuzu turns the corner when running away from the bully, she runs smack into someone else who had seen the exchange. A red haired boy about her age, holding a baseball bat. When she crashes into him, he falls to the ground and stares up at her with big eyes.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to knock you over! I was running away and-" Yuzu stops talking when the boy jumps up and gives her a deep bow. Yuzu bows back instinctively.

"I think I'm in love with you," The boy whispers as he stares at her. Yuzu's eyes widen.

"Huh?" She asks him in confusion.

"The way you just took care of that-" The red haired boy starts to say, but Yuzu is distracted when she realizes she can hear her brother. She runs back to the corner and peeks around. She smiles when she sees the boy cowering away from Ichigo.

"Who is that?" The boy she had been talking to asks her. He's next to her, and he looks at her with great interest. He's holding his bat again too.

"That's my brother." Yuzu says with a smile. "He must have seen what happened." She tells him with a smile.

"I'm Jinta." The boy tells her with a charming grin.

"I'm Yuzu." She tells him.

"Want me to walk you home?" Jinta offers. Yuzu smiles at him.

"Sure, that would be really nice!" She tells him, still a bit surprised that this boy had proclaimed his love for her upon meeting her, but he doesn't seem like a threat, so she figures she'll get to know him.

They watch as the boy who bullied her runs by holding his nose with one hand and his crotch with the other, Jinta laughs loudly, and Yuzu can't help but smile.

"That kid just had some bad luck to run into you and your brother," Jinta tells her with a bit of amazement in his voice.

"My brother was the one he was really unfortunate to run into, I just lucked out a bit." Yuzu admits with a smile.

"You were dead on, it was like you were a pro!" Jinta tells her excitedly. Yuzu blushes.

"If that's true, it's only because of my brother and Rukia-chan, the girl that was with my brother." Yuzu tells him.

"I was about to run over and club that kid with my bat when you just took care of it all on your own," Jinta says, properly impressed with her newly learned defensive abilities. Yuzu looks over at him and blushes at the way he's showering her with compliments.

"He came at me though," Yuzu tells him.

"You're such a cute and sweet girl, yet you took care of him like that!" Jinta says, snapping his fingers. Yuzu blushes again.

J J J J

"So what do you think?" Aizen asks Gin as he sits down on the couch across from him. Gin gives him his trademark smile that makes his eyes impossible to see.

"I think the third time is a charm." Gin tells him.

"Technically this will not be the third time. If you count when you tried to get her when she was a kid, and the two times I sent men to Karakura Town, the time I had tea with her, and the time I went to her gymnastics practice, this will be our sixth attempt." Aizen corrects him.

"Well you didn't really try anything though, and I don't count when she was a kid." Gin tells him.

"That's one way to think positively." Aizen says with a chuckle.

"We're lucky we know her location after the past two attempts. I know we'll come up with a way that works, or we'll go down trying." Gin tells him, making Aizen uncomfortable at the use of the word _we_.

"I'm not going down, Kuchiki Rukia is." Aizen says in a hard voice. Gin waves his hand in the air like life is all good.

"Sure, sure." Gin tells Aizen breezily.

"You _do_ take this seriously, don't you?" Aizen asks him, with a bit or worry evident in his voice.

"Of course! It's not like she can keep getting so lucky. She's just a kid. All we have to do is outsmart her." Gin tells Aizen, without a hint of worry in his voice.

"It should have already been done." Aizen mutters furiously as he clenches his fist and hits the armrest of his couch. He normally never loses his calm like this _but things just keep going fucking wrong_!_ One fucking thing after another!_

"Well don't lose any sleep over that nonsense, it sounded like Kira feels bad for letting you down," Gin says, still quite calm, even though he notices Aizen's condition.

"I'm sending another man to watch them for a week so we can learn if their habits have changed as a result of these past incidents." Aizen tells him. He doesn't even want to _think_ about Kira.

"Maybe you should do a two week observation. It can't hurt to be too careful," Gin wisely advises him, and Aizen nods in agreement.

"You're right, I know. Two weeks, then. I have to stop being so impatient." Aizen says softly with a grim look on his face.

"It's not like you to get this unnerved about something so trivial. You really seem stressed out," Gin tells him with a look of concern. "Your mind won't work right if you're this distracted." Gin tells him. He's never seen Aizen's eyes look so wild. It's like he needs to get laid in a major way.

"Sometimes you say things that are far too intelligent." Aizen sighs before he stands to pour himself a cup of sake.

"Just don't let the little bitch shake you up so much. You just have to be smart about it." Gin tells him. Aizen nods. "It's interesting that she's not moving this time. Every other time we located her, that brother of hers would up and move her away. Now she's staying in the same spot. I wonder why." Gin says airily.

"I don't know but I just hate failures that reflect badly on me, and all of these past failures reflect really badly on me. It's infuriating to know I've been outsmarted and out powered by a fifteen year old girl on several occasions." Aizen tells him, taking a long swig of sake.

"Don't dwell on your past mistakes, just concentrate on how the next time will be a success. Think only about that." Gin tells him with a nod of his head.

"I'll get it together. There's no need for you to worry. Make yourself at home, my house is your house." Aizen tells him.

"So I can fly that little girl in for the week while we wait for the reports?" Gin asks with a grin. He holds up his hand. "Just kidding." He says before Aizen can respond. Aizen stares at him.

"Good night, Gin." Aizen says in a smooth voice.

"Good night to you too," Gin says in an amused voice. Aizen heads to his bedroom and closes the door.

_Like my mind could ever stop working properly, I am a genius. No fifteen year old girl is going to get the best of me. It's a pity Gin, a real pity since you're a real loyal guy. It will serve my purposes well if you're actually able to capture the girl, but if you are unable to do so, which I suspect will end up being the case, you'll take all the rap. That is why it was so perfect to bring you in. I don't doubt for one minute that someone like you can actually pull off what the others couldn't hell, you couldn't get her at the tender age of three._

_I'll get you when you least expect it Kuchiki Rukia. I've already got you all figured out. _

Aizen smiles as a sinister plot starts to really take shape in his brain. He smiles at the brilliance of it, he doesn't even mind that he's already congratulating himself. It's a plan so clever and sneaky he's certain he can pull it off, and most likely without the orange haired kid's interference.


	34. Chapter 33: Friends In Love

Chapter 33

_Friends In Love_

Rukia and Ichigo spent the entire rest of Sunday doing their homework together. They had taken it easy on Friday and Saturday, and so they needed to buckle down and prepare for class on Monday. It took them until late in the evening, but they managed to finish in time to still have almost an hour to cuddle before Rukia was expected home.

Rukia and Ichigo had stopped on the way home to buy Yuzu a congratulatory cake which she had blushed at when they had presented it to her after dinner. Even Karin had been surprised that Yuzu had effectively dealt with a bully who was getting out of control with her.

Yuzu had been the center of attention for the evening, and everyone praised her reaction in the situation she had been in with the bully. Yuzu doesn't share with her family that a red haired boy told her that he loves her, and nobody had seen him when he'd walked her home. Yuzu doesn't know how she feels about his declaration of love, but it is the first time she's ever heard a boy say such a thing to her, and in a way, it makes her really happy.

Once again, late in the night after a really bad dream, Rukia sneaks over to Ichigo's house and climbs into his bed with him. She sighs in complete relaxation as his arms settle instinctively around her without him waking up. She closes her eyes and has dreams of him beating down man after man while he shouts that he'll always protect her. Even in her dreams he protects her, and his desire to protect her seems to have fully entered into her subconscious mind as well as her conscious mind.

When Ichigo wakes up in the morning, and he finds himself stroking Rukia's back, he grins before he sits up, and wakes her up so that she can escape his house without using the window. He hurries her through the still dark house and disarms his family's security system before he walks her over to her front door and gives her a big kiss. She slips unnoticed into her house. Ichigo hurries back over to his own house, rearms the security system, and decides not to go back to bed even though he could if he wanted for awhile.

He slips into his shower and he wonders how long Rukia can get away with sneaking over to his house before she gets caught. He doesn't want her to get caught, but it seems inevitable with her having to dodge both his family and Shoko.

From the shower, he hears it when his dad busts into his bedroom and smashes out his window from a flying kick he had probably intended for Ichigo. He sighs as he shuts off the water and steps out of the tub and then grabs his towel.

"Ichigo!" Isshin's voice is ridiculously loud and Ichigo feels a headache coming on, just from hearing that kind of sheer volume first thing in the morning.

"Do you always have to yell so loudly first thing in the morning?" Ichigo roars through the bathroom door.

"Oh thank goodness, for a moment I thought you were gone to Rukia's bedroom!" Isshin says with apparent relief. Ichigo blushes and is glad the door is closed so that his father can't see his reaction.

"Get lost old man!" Ichigo yells in frustration. He scowls as he hears his father scampering away, apparently satisfied that he's sufficiently annoyed Ichigo first thing in the morning.

He hurries into his uniform and heads downstairs for breakfast. He practically inhales his food so that he can meet Rukia before she even opens her front door.

Yuzu manages to slide a lunch into his hands before he flies out the front door. He's relieved when he's in time to watch the front door open and she steps out. He loves her big blue eyes when they're shining the way they are right now as she looks at him.

"Good morning, Ichigo." Rukia says to him with a hint of a grin.

"Good morning. Ready to go?" Ichigo asks her as he holds out his hand for her to take. Rukia grins and she walks over to him to take his hand and she smiles up at him.

"Yes." Rukia tells him as she enjoys the feeling of holding his hand.

They walk hand in hand to school and once again, nothing out of the ordinary occurs, throughout the day. At the end of the day however, Tatsuki pulls Rukia away from Ichigo, and finally humbles herself after spending all weekend thinking.

"Kuchiki-san…" Tatsuki trails off, not exactly sure how to start, and Rukia looks at her with a bit of curiosity. She looks behind Tatsuki at her usual companion of late but doesn't get any information there.

"Is something wrong?" Rukia asks her after a moment of silence. Tatsuki turns bright red before she looks away for a moment. It seems whatever she wants to say causes her great difficulty. Her companion also looks at her, interested in why she's so nervous.

"Um…well you know, uh…" Tatsuki feels like an idiot. Why is it so difficult for her to talk about this with Kuchiki-san, and if she's unable to do it, maybe she's too immature to be in a relationship. Tatsuki puts her chin up. She spent all weekend thinking about it and she's made her decision.

"Are you okay?" Rukia asks her. Rukia watches Tatsuki's eyes as they meet hers with a look of determination. Rukia's a bit taken aback by the strength of it.

"Kuchiki-san, I really like your friend Renji. I was wondering if you could ask him how he feels about me. Do you think you could do that?"

"Why don't you just ask me yourself?" Renji's voice rumbles behind her causing Rukia to giggle and Tatsuki to turn seven shades of red as sweat drips down her face. Tatsuki had no idea that Renji was right behind her, and Rukia hadn't given her any indication that he had appeared behind her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tatsuki whispers in complete embarrassment. Rukia gives her a sympathetic look.

"He's been right behind you since you pulled me away from Ichigo, naturally I assumed you knew he was there. He's always with you when we're not in class." Rukia reminds her. Tatsuki still hasn't turned around to face Renji.

"This is so embarrassing!" Tatsuki breathes to Rukia, who's still giving her a sympathetic look. Renji crosses his arms and grins as he waits for the girl who didn't know he was there to meet his eyes.

"Unfortunately Renji, I'm not sure she's actually able to ask you herself." Rukia says ruefully, and Tatsuki shuts her eyes and wishes she could just disappear.

"Let it be a bad dream…please…let it be a bad dream." Tatsuki is muttering under her breath as she breathes deeply. She can handle a lot of things, but this feeling makes her think she might actually faint. "I'm not dreaming!" Tatsuki says in a bit of a panic.

"I had better take her to the infirmary." Renji says with a wink and a happy smile at Rukia. Tatsuki turns white at that suggestion, and Rukia puts her hand over her mouth to cover her huge smile.

Renji steps forward and picks Tatsuki up into his arms, and she refuses to meet his gaze. She wonders how she's even still alive after dealing with this kind of mortification. She keeps her gaze down and wonders what in the hell she's going to say to Renji when they're all alone in the infirmary, and worse, what will he say to her?

Rukia covers her heart with her hand as she watches Renji turn around to take Tatsuki towards the infirmary.

Ichigo walks up behind Rukia while she has a silly dreamy look on her face.

"What in the hell just happened?" Ichigo asks her with a raised eyebrow.

"It was _so romantic_!" Rukia squeals as she turns to look at him with stars practically in her eyes. "They're going to get together!" Rukia sings happily to him, except that she draws out the word together. Ichigo grins and throws his arm around her.

"Oh yeah? What was so romantic about it?" He asks her, curious to hear the story now that he's seen her excitement. She really looks like she just saw something phenomenal.

"When Tatsuki pulled me away from you, she didn't realize that Renji was right behind her, and she ended up asking me right in front of him if I could find out how he feels about her, it was so cute!" Rukia tells him with a smile. "Then Renji suggested that she ask him instead!" Rukia finishes.

"Really?" Ichigo laughs. How embarrassing for Tatsuki. He shakes his head and blushes as he imagines what she must have felt like as she realized that Renji had heard her request to Rukia.

"Yeah, and what made it cuter is that Tatsuki was so embarrassed, it looked like she might faint and so Renji picked her up and carried her off to the infirmary! It's so cute!" Rukia tells him in a loud pitched excited voice.

"I'm sure Tatsuki didn't think so," Ichigo points out. Rukia smiles up at him.

"She will, after she gets over her embarrassment. The guy she likes _did _just carry her off to the infirmary!" Rukia tells him with excitement. "It was so romantic, Ichigo!" Rukia tells him with a big sigh.

"You're such a sap for romance." Ichigo tells her with a grin.

"One of the things we have in common." Rukia tells him with a smirk.

"Only for ours, Rukia. Nobody else's." Ichigo says in a low voice. He glances around hoping nobody heard her comment. Rukia laughs at him.

"Stop worrying so much what other people think." She tells him as they head to get their shoes and leave.

"True. Are we going straight to the gym?" Ichigo asks her next.

"Do you have your workout gear?" Rukia asks him. Ichigo nods his head yes."Except for the dummies. Sado said he'd come after he stopped at home first too." Ichigo tells her.

"Who knows if Tatsuki and Renji will make it, they may skip working out to enjoy their new romance." Rukia says with a smile.

"I'm sure they'll come too." Ichigo says, quite certain of it. Renji will make every effort to be in Rukia's vicinity if he was sent here by Byakuya as Ichigo suspects that he was.

"If they come, maybe we'll get to see the developments firsthand," Rukia says with a grin.

"You have to concentrate on your gymnastics so that you don't break your neck." Ichigo tells her, horrified that her focus may not be where it should be-on her gymnastics.

"You won't let me break my neck," Rukia argues breezily as she puts her indoor shoes in her cubby hole. Ichigo does the same with his own indoor shoes. They both grab their outdoor shoes and start heading for the exit. Ichigo looks down at her.

"You scare me when you say stuff like that." Ichigo tells her as seriously as he can.

"Relax. If I can concentrate on my gymnastics when you're around, I can concentrate through just about anything." Rukia tells him matter-of-factly, causing Ichigo to grin at her.

"Are we walking or are you calling a car?" Ichigo asks her as they get to the doorway and put on their outdoor shoes. Rukia points out to the curb.

"The car is right there. I wanted to make sure we arrive before anyone else so that they aren't stuck outside waiting." Rukia tells him. Ichigo grins at her consideration of his friends. She really is a nice girl, even if she is headstrong, stubborn, and dangerously carefree.

"Come on, Rukia." Ichigo says as he grabs her hand and leads her towards the waiting car.

J J J J

"Wow, what a great gym!" Karin yells in excitement as she walks in. She sees Rukia and her brother over by the gymnastics equipment and she looks around in amazement. She blinks twice. She can hardly believe her eyes as she stares around in fascination.

She sees Sado over by the weights, and it appears he's lifting the maximum amount of weight that he can get on the bar. Karin's mouth opens in shock at that. She wanders in and sees the dressing room, and so she heads for the women's side.

When she gets inside, she's awed by how high class and luxurious it all is. She walks around and her mouth drops open when she sees a pool. She scowls. Ichi-ni had not told her there was a pool. All she wants to do now is get in the pool, but she didn't bring a bathing suit. It looks so refreshing.

Karin's eyes widen when she hears female giggling. She looks around but she cannot locate the source. She knows her brother and Rukia were by the equipment and so whoever it is probably won't be happy if Karin finds her. Karin quickly changes into her workout gear, and heads over by her brother.

"Karin, how do you like the gym?" Rukia asks with a big grin as she hops off of the beam with a light grace.

"It's totally amazing! The weird thing though, is when I was in the ladies dressing room I heard muffled giggling, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. Rukia grins at Ichigo.

"You probably heard Tatsuki in the sauna with Renji." Rukia tells her with a wink. Karin wrinkles her nose.

Rukia grins at Ichigo. She had been insanely happy when the couple had shown up at the gym and had announced that they were now going out. Ichigo had smiled happily at the pair as well.

"Oh gross, I'm so glad I didn't investigate!" Karin says in complete understanding before she gives her brother a glare.

"What?" Ichigo asks, exasperated. His sister seems to be doing an awful lot of glaring at him lately. He wonders if she's always been like this, or if he only recently started noticing it.

"Why didn't you tell me there was a pool here, Ichi-ni?" Karin asks with obvious annoyance in her voice.

"I must have forgotten to mention it," Ichigo says, taken aback by her anger.

"I would have brought my swimsuit, if I had known about it!" Karin growls at him with frustration. Rukia takes a step forward and smiles at Karin.

"Actually, there are guest swimsuits in the dressing room. You can keep one if you find one you like, or you throw it out when you're done," Rukia tells her, and Karin's eyes light up happily.

"Really?" Karin asks wide eyed. Rukia smiles at her and gives her a wink.

"Really." Rukia tells Karin.

"Thanks Rukia-chan, you're cool!" Karin says before she rushes back into the dressing rooms to locate the guest suits.

"What an insufferable brat!" Ichigo mutters angrily under his breath. Rukia giggles at his annoyance. He's cute even when he's all annoyed or worked up. He's especially sexy when he's protecting her though.

"My sister was much older than me, so we never had that kind of relationship, she was more like a second mother than a sister." Rukia tells him happily before they walk over to the uneven bars. "Ready to watch me fly?" Rukia asks him as she chalks up her hands. Ichigo nods.

"Ready." He tells her. He watches as she walks over and grasps the lower bar and starts swinging. He heads over to the side of the bars, so that he can step under her if he needs to catch her, but he won't get drilled by her legs as she whips around the bars.

He watches completely mesmerized as she performs. She really does resemble a bird when she releases from the lower bar to the higher bar, and also when she performs her releases. He never knew women's gymnastics could be so amazing until he watched her demonstration at their Miai, even if he is a bit of a tumbler himself.

When Rukia dismounts, it's a relief to Ichigo. She makes him nervous flying around from bar to bar. He notices her attention is on the dojo area and her mouth is open in a bit of surprise.

He glances over when he sees Sado working the punching bags. He admires his friend's ability to make the heavy bag swing as though it's light. It doesn't even swing that hard when Ichigo is going at it.

"Wow," Rukia says in amazement as she notices the same thing.

"Yeah, Sado is a power horse." Ichigo tells her with a grin.

"It's just straight punching too, it doesn't appear as though he has a specific style," Rukia says in wonder.

"If he lands one hit, he wins. He can take a pounding like nobody's business." Ichigo tells her with a nod of his head. "He doesn't like to fight though, he and I made a promise to each other after we first met, that he'll raise his fists for me, and I'll raise mine for him, since he doesn't believe in raising his fists for himself." Ichigo explains to her.

"How unusual," Rukia breathes. "I'm glad he's a good guy." She tells him, causing Ichigo to nod in agreement.

"That is a very good thing." Ichigo tells her with an agreeable smile.

"Alright, I'm going back on the bars." Rukia tells him before she takes hold of the bar again. Ichigo nods and moves back into proper spotting position. Once again she captures his attention completely as she flies from bar to bar. He's amazed at her agility, flexibility, strength, and poise.

Tatsuki and Renji appear from their respective dressing rooms, since the sauna connects them, neither one wanted to walk through the other sex's dressing room.

Tatsuki looks around in admiration again. It really is a high end gym. She sees Sado having at a punching bag and she trots over to where he's at with Renji right behind her.

"Isn't this great?" Tatsuki asks Renji for about the eighth time. He smiles.

"Yeah, it's really cool that Rukia gave us permission to train here when she's here, and considering her intensive gymnastics training, that means we can come here any day after school." Renji tells her. "I want to come regularly, after that party, I feel like I need to keep building my muscles." Renji tells her.

"I know exactly what you mean." Tatsuki tells him.

Renji frowns. Tatsuki doesn't know why he's really here in Karakura Town, and he's not supposed to tell anybody the truth. He's pretty sure Kurosaki has it figured out, but will Tatsuki start to notice the amount of time they spend in Rukia's presence? How will he answer if she questions it?

"Sado, you're really going at it!" Tatsuki calls out to him. Sado stops punching and grunts at Tatsuki.

"This is a really nice facility." Sado tells them. Tatsuki nods her head in excited agreement.

"Isn't it? I am so impressed, and I think I've fallen in love with this place!" Tatsuki says, clasping her hands together.

"I can't believe how huge it is." Sado tells her. Tatsuki looks around and sees Rukia on the floor mats.

"Look, Kuchiki-san is about to do a tumbling set!" Tatsuki says with excitement as she gives Rukia her complete attention. Ichigo is on the side watching her, and both Renji and Sado watch as well.

Rukia takes a deep breath. She runs really hard a little bit more than a third down the mat and then she starts her handspring sets. She does two front handsprings and then one back handspring, and then she does a double flip high up into the air before she lands. She looks over at Ichigo who's looking at her with appreciation.

"Nice, Rukia!" Ichigo is loud enough for all of them to hear.

"That was magnificent!" Tatsuki says, not realizing Ichigo's fiancé was so multi-talented.

"She's always been good at tumbling routines, ever since I met her." Renji tells Tatsuki.

They watch as she positions herself and does a couple of aerials and back walkovers before she heads to a different end of the mat. Tatsuki holds her breath as Rukia takes off running at top speed and then does three front handsprings a double flip finish. Ichigo appears to be fiddling with something in his hand.

"Wow," Tatsuki breathes, properly impressed at Rukia's acrobatic skills.

Everyone in the room jumps as music suddenly comes on the speakers, and Rukia positions herself on the floor once again. Ichigo skips through until they hear Rukia signal for him to stop. A lively tune starts to play and Rukia begins her floor exercise. Tatsuki realizes how flexible and strong Rukia actually is, as her routine progresses.

When Rukia edges up to the corner of the mat while still dancing, everyone watches transfixed as she takes off running down the mat and does a front handspring into two back handsprings and completes a double back flip with a forward flip finish before she twirls around into some more dance moves.

She ends up doing two more extremely different tumbling moves during the song and when she finished, Ichigo stops the music and everybody claps, even Karin, who came in to see what was going on with the music.

"Wow Kuchiki-san, I had no idea you were so talented!" Tatsuki says excitedly as she runs over to Ichigo and Rukia.

"Thanks! I didn't realize I had an audience," Rukia says with a blush.

"Isn't she great?" Ichigo asks with an appreciative look towards Rukia.

"I would love to come see you in competition!" Tatsuki tells her. Rukia grins.

"I'll definitely invite you all, if you're interested in going." Rukia tells them with a pleased smile.

"How long have you been training in gymnastics?" Tatsuki asks Rukia.

"Since I was five years old." Rukia says, still smiling.

"Ten years? Wow." Tatsuki breathes with a big grin.

"I have a competition in eight months and my coach wants me to bump things up a level. He wasn't able to be at my last competition due to scheduling conflicts and he had expected me to get better than third all around." Rukia explains.

"I thought you would do better too, I don't think those judges scored properly," Ichigo mutters, causing Rukia to smile, and Tatsuki to gawk.

"You were at her last competition?" Tatsuki asks him in surprise.

"Yeah, it was a couple of weeks before school started." Ichigo explains to her. Tatsuki grins at him.

"I had no idea." She tells him with a shake of her head. She looks at Rukia. "He would never tell us anything about you, all we knew was that he was engaged." She explains. Rukia smiles at her.

"He's private like that sometimes," Rukia says with a laugh.

"The truth is, I didn't know what to expect, but I am impressed that Ichigo was able to land a girl like you, no wonder he proposed, he was probably terrified of letting you get away." Tatsuki tells Rukia, causing both Ichigo and Rukia to blush madly.

"Um…" Rukia says and then trails off. Tatsuki grins.

"I still can't wait to hear _that_ story." Tatsuki tells Rukia with a wink, and she can't stop herself from laughing at the way the couple actually blush harder at her words.

"Shut up." Ichigo mutters.

"It must be a really embarrassing story, for you to act like that." Tatsuki says, chuckling at him.

"Come on, Rukia. Time to practice vaulting." Ichigo says, grabbing her hand and dragging her away from Tatsuki as quickly as he can without running.

"Hey, slow down!" Rukia squeals, and Ichigo immediately slows down.

"Sorry. They just don't let up, do they?" Ichigo asks her ruefully.

"They can't help being curious, they are our friends," Rukia says logically.

"Still, they all need to back off." Ichigo grumbles irritably, though he is pleased she called them _our_ friends. Rukia smiles at him.

When Rukia finally finishes her gymnastics training, they head over to the dojo area where everyone is at. Tatsuki is in her school karate gear and she appears to be practicing a few of her moves. When she sees Rukia, her eyes light up.

"Kuchiki-san, want to spar with me? I want to try sparring with someone who does a totally different style!" Tatsuki says in good spirits. Ichigo's eyes widen in fear. He does not think it's a good idea. Rukia apparently, doesn't agree.

"Sure thing! Want me to go get the protective pads or do you want to try it without?" Rukia asks Tatsuki. Ichigo gasps in horror at the idea with them going at it with no protection.

"We should use pads so that we can really go at it, do you want to take a rest after all your gymnastics practice first?" Tatsuki says, suddenly feeling bad that she asked for a sparring match when the girl just finished a hard workout.

"It's fine. I used to have to train in both sports one after another for many years, I'm not out of energy yet," Rukia assures Tatsuki.

"Awesome! Let's get it on!" Tatsuki says in excitement. Rukia trots off to go get the pads out of the storage room.

"This ought to be interesting," Renji says with a grin.

"Are you kidding me?" Ichigo asks him nervously. "I can't think of a worse opponent for either of them," Ichigo says with obvious horror. This match could go either way.

"That's why it's such a great match!" Renji says with obvious appreciation for a good battle.

"Hey, guys! We're only sparring, we're not actually fighting." Tatsuki informs them. Ichigo nods his head with doubt in his eyes.

_Sure it may start out as a friendly sparring match, but is that how it will end up?_

Ichigo feels the sweat beading on his forehead as Rukia trots back out with blue sparring pads that look like they've never been used. Tatsuki jumps up and down in excitement as Rukia walks over to her and hands Tatsuki the set of pads that she brought out for her.

Ichigo feels like time is moving very slowly as the girls get on their pads.

"Ichigo, will you signal the start of the match please?" Rukia calls out as she finishes up with her pads.

"Uh, sure." Ichigo says in a weak voice. He hears Renji chuckling under his breath and he shoots the annoying red haired asshole an annoyed look.

"I'm ready!" Tatsuki says as she pops up to her feet. Ichigo lets out a sigh of defeat.

"Fine. Bow to your partner." Ichigo instructs them. Both girls bow. "Ready….start!" Ichigo calls out and Tatsuki moves in kind of slowly. Rukia watches for her to get in striking distance, and Ichigo holds his breath.

_Who will get in the first hit?_

Tatsuki finally gets in striking distance, and Rukia can tell she's about to punch, and so Rukia quickly kicks forward and kicks Tatsuki back a few steps, out of reach by landing a hit in her stomach. Tatsuki grins.

"Not bad, Kuchiki-san!" Tatsuki says before she charges again. She anticipates Rukia's dodging and she times her kick perfectly to hit Rukia as she dodges, which works quite well and Rukia smacks the floor with her butt. She smiles and stands quickly.

"You either!" Rukia says, smiling as she concentrates on the opponent in front of her. Ichigo hadn't lied about her being a talented martial artist, that's for sure. Rukia hops in quickly and delivers a low kick to Tatsuki causing her to lose her balance and fall to the floor. Rukia chooses not to use her Gracie Jiu-jitsu techniques since they're only supposed to be sparring. She decides to focus on her kickboxing skills.

Ichigo watches as the girls take turns trading hits with one another. They seem to be on a fairly even ground, despite the fact that Rukia isn't using any of her true techniques.

"Why isn't she using any submissive techniques?" Ichigo finally asks Renji in confusion.

"It's sparring. Unless your opponent knows that you are going to be using submissive techniques, it's impolite to use them on the pretext of sparring." Renji explains to Ichigo.

"Oh yeah, she never did tell Tatsuki her real style." Ichigo remembers ,and tells Renji who looks taken aback.

"Tatsuki knows. She knows because I told her. Her friend Inoue, knows too." Renji says softly. Ichigo looks quickly at him.

"Rukia didn't want that to be well known." Ichigo tells Renji, causing him to feel badly.

"She was asking me about my training, and I mentioned that I trained with Rukia. I didn't know Rukia was keeping it secret," Renji says with a baffled look in his eyes.

"She was." Ichigo tells him in a hard voice. "I hope Tatsuki and Inoue haven't blabbed or Rukia will be pissed off at you." Ichigo tells Renji with a warning note in his voice.

"Why was she keeping it a secret amongst friends?" Renji asks Ichigo with obvious nervousness.

"She said that the effectiveness of the style comes from the element of surprise when one starts to use it." Ichigo tells Renji, who gulps loudly.

"That's true," Renji allows in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Well, you are her childhood friend, so maybe she'll forgive you." Ichigo says. Renji groans. It feels like Ichigo just freaking jinxed him.

"Yo, Kuchiki-san! Why don't you show me some of your Gracie Jiu-jitsu techniques!" Tatsuki chooses that moment to shout out. Ichigo and Renji's mouths drop to identical proportions and Rukia's eyes widen.

"What?" Rukia asks her softly. Tatsuki looks at her in surprise.

"The style that you learned with Renji, I'm interested to see how it works since he wouldn't show me, he'd only explain it." Tatsuki clarifies. Rukia shoots Renji an annoyed look. He quickly looks away from her.

"Those moves aren't really appropriate for sparring with a friend," Rukia tells Tatsuki with a frown.

"Don't worry about it, just do it!" Tatsuki says as she approaches Rukia once more.

"Damn." Renji mutters as he shakes his head in regret.

"Told you." Ichigo says to him with a sigh. They both look at the floor now, and that's where both of their gazes stay until they hear Tatsuki scream.

"I give, I give! Stop!" Tatsuki calls out, and both men look up to see Rukia sitting on Tatsuki's back holding her right arm back completely under her control. Rukia immediately lets go and bounds to her feet.

"Damn, that was brutal!" Tatsuki says with wide eyes.

"Sorry." Rukia says with her eyes cast downwards. "I prefer not to use those kinds of moves against friends." Rukia tells her softly. Tatsuki nods.

"Alright, I get it. My head is spinning though, I still can't believe you managed to do that so quickly!" Tatsuki tells her, wide eyed.

"You're very talented." Rukia tells Tatsuki with a smile.

"So are you, Kuchiki san. So are you." Tatsuki says with a smile of amazement. "You're a true paragon of what women should be." Tatsuki tells her, causing Rukia to blush at her compliment.

"I'm just a fifteen year old girl." Rukia argues humbly. "I'm not as special as all of that." Rukia says, surprised at how many compliments she's received from Tatsuki today.

"No, you're special." Ichigo says, coming up next to her and kissing her on the cheek.

"Ichigo." Rukia says, blushing.

"I agree with Tatsuki." Ichigo tells her in a husky voice.

J J J J

Aizen considers his plan. There is only one part of it that he hasn't decided, and that is when to execute the very last part so that things work to his benefit. He needs for Rukia to let her guard down. It would be ideal if he could pinpoint exactly when that will be.

Aizen doesn't have high hopes in Gin's ability to grab the girl. He seems to think he can go in and succeed where others have failed, but Aizen calculates that Gin will be completely unsuccessful in his endeavor to grab Kuchiki Rukia, and he also knows that if that happens, the whole house of cards will come crashing down on top of Gin's head.

Even though Gin got plastic surgery, his eyes are still freakishly narrow, and his hair is still white, although it's a different style from when he was in Japan over ten years ago. His cheek structure was changed, and that made quite a difference, but Aizen thinks it's the bare minimum. He's sure that if Kuchiki Byakuya catches a glimpse of Gin, he'll know who he is immediately.

Then comes the waiting game. The moment Gin is incarcerated, she'll stop being on her guard so damned much, and when that happens, when she least expects it…he'll pounce.

Aizen feels it's only a matter of time and he lets himself slowly start to smile until it is as big of a smile as he can pull off.

_Kuchiki Rukia..you will be mine one day for sure._


	35. Chapter 34: Hinamori Momo

Chapter 34

_Hinamori Momo_

"It sure has been a peaceful week," Rukia tells Ichigo as they sit in the whirlpool with Renji and Tatsuki.

"I feel terrific, I can already feel a difference in my muscles due to all the hard work I've put in all week," Tatsuki says in a pleased voice.

"Yeah, I feel a lot better with all the working out this week too, I hope to keep up the schedule." Renji says, very glad when Tatsuki nods.

Rukia glances at Ichigo. She's in a good mood since Inoue and Tatsuki hadn't told anybody about her true martial arts background, and they had both promised to keep it a secret.

Renji had apologized profusely for blabbing her personal business, but he had also explained that it had been unintentional since he had really been talking about his own training. Rukia had chosen to forgive him.

Yuzu had come to the gym three times this week, and she was in love with the pool. She had asked if she could go swimming during Rukia's official gymnastics practice with the coach on Sunday, and Rukia had immediately agreed. Rukia had invited Isshin as well, and he said that he may stop by on Saturday. Rukia presented Ichigo with his own key to the gym on Wednesday and also a key to her home.

She told him that in an emergency, she didn't want him to be locked out of anywhere she might be, and that she wanted him to consider the gym as much his as it was hers. Ichigo had kissed her and had accepted both keys with a smile. He's glad she's finally showing a bit of caution in regards to her own safety.

It had become routine after working out for everyone to get in the whirlpool which was large enough to accommodate six people comfortably. Yuzu and Karin would get in first, and when they got out, Sado, Renji, Tatsuki, Rukia, & Ichigo would all get in. Sado always gets out before the rest of them though. He's already in the dressing room as they're sitting there now.

Tatsuki and Renji are quickly becoming the best pair to hang out with considering both couples are dating. Not that they dislike hanging out with Sado, but sometimes they get the feeling that they're making him uncomfortable.

Tatsuki seems to be head over heels in love with Renji, and it looks like Renji's in similar condition in regards to her. Rukia stops looking at them when she feels Ichigo's hand creeping up her leg. She blushes.

"Ichigo!" Rukia whispers with embarrassment, causing both Renji and Tatsuki to take note of it. Tatsuki smiles knowingly and Ichigo blushes when he realizes they both have figured out his game.

"Getting frisky?" Tatsuki asks Rukia, who nods with a blushing grin.

"Always," Rukia says, causing Ichigo to blush.

"I didn't do anything dirty you know." Ichigo says defensively. Rukia nods her head in agreement.

"You're right. You only put your hand on my leg, I shouldn't have reacted but I can't help it when you touch me." Rukia tells him, causing Ichigo's eyes to bulge.

"Shhhh!" Ichigo says not losing his blush at all.

Tatsuki and Renji laugh. Rukia and Ichigo stay blushing, and this is how Sado finds them as he walks out of the dressing room.

"You've all passed the time limit on the whirlpool." Sado tells them. They all grumble as they get out.

"What time will you two be here tomorrow?" Renji asks them as they all dry off.

"We'll be here about two. That way he have had time to digest our lunches." Rukia tells them, and everyone nods.

"See you tomorrow," Sado tells them. He's glad Renji asked instead of him having to.

"Do you two want a ride home? I'm calling for a car," Rukia asks Renji and Tatsuki as Sado walks out.

"Nah, we'd rather walk." Renji says, ash he gives Tatsuki a sideways glance.

"Alright, I'm going to go get Karin out of the pool." Rukia tells Ichigo who gives her nod of relief. He's glad he doesn't have to tell her they're leaving, Karin seems to respond better to Rukia anyways. Ichigo grabs a water and heads into the men's dressing room, and Renji follows him.

Tatsuki and Rukia both grab waters and Rukia heads through the dressing room to get Karin out of the pool. She's not supposed to be in the deep end when she's by herself, but that is where Rukia finds her.

"Karin, it's a liability if you swim in the deep end when you're by yourself. Please don't do that anymore." Rukia says loudly and Karin quickly swims to the shallow end.

"Sorry Rukia-chan. I wasn't even paying attention, I was just floating around the pool." Karin tells her with wide eyes. Rukia isn't certain whether or not she's being honest, but decides to make her point anyways.

"Karin, I hate to ruin your fun, but I'm going to have to insist you stay out of the deep end when you're by yourself. If I catch you doing it again, I'll have to ask you to swim with supervision only. I'm going to trust that you won't do that again. I don't know how I would explain it to your family if I walked in here and discovered that you had drowned." Rukia tells her very firmly. Karin's eyes widen.

"I promise, it won't happen again." Karin says solemnly. She hadn't even considered the risks, but obviously Rukia was aware of them. Rukia sighs a breath of relief.

"Excellent. We're about to head home, and we're taking the car, want to come with us?" Rukia asks her softly. Karin nods her head yes.

"Sure." Karin tells her and they all file out of the gym and Rukia shuts off the main lights and locks the door behind her. The motion detector security lights pop on when they head outside and they all head to the waiting car.

J J J J

"What do we know so far?" Gin asks Aizen anxiously. Aizen sighs.

"She has changed her schedule dramatically. She now goes to a private gym with bodyguards guarding the outside everyday. She doesn't go alone either, she goes with several other people. According to the past reports, the other people who go with them are the same people who severely injured the party of twenty that went to get her last time." Aizen's voice grows furious and he takes a few deep breaths.

"Anything else?" Gin asks quietly.

"Yeah. There's more. A bodyguard is constantly patrolling her street, and she has gotten into the habit of taking a car the majority of the times she goes anywhere. She almost never leaves her house alone, she's always with the orange haired kid." Aizen nearly huffs it.

"There's never a time when she's alone?" Gin asks him in horror.

"I didn't mean to say that." Aizen says with a small smile. The bright lining, the shred of hope. "There is one very narrow opportunity in which to grab her." Aizen says in a gossipy voice. Gin leans forward.

"And that is when?" Gin asks with his heart thumping a little bit faster.

"In the middle of the night, she sneaks over to the next door neighbor's house until early morning when the orange haired kid walks her to her door. The only opportunity to grab her is when she's moving from house to house. She's careful not to go when the bodyguards are around the immediate vicinity, once again, Kira will drive, since nobody saw his face last time. You will only have one chance to snag her." Aizen says with his heart thumping.

"Aren't we still observing for another week?" Gin asks him nervously. Aizen nods his head.

"Yes, we cannot be too careful. I need your agreement though, Gin." Aizen says seriously to his companion. Gin gives him a speculative look.

"What?" Gin asks him.

"In agreement for giving you the chance at the best possible opportunity to nab the girl and also swearing not to kill the girl until I can provide you with her child, you must promise me that if you get caught, you will not breathe a word of me. If things go bad, it's all on you." Aizen tells him seriously. Gin looks at him and gives him a stiff nod.

"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had the past ten years as free as I've had it. I'm confident in my ability to snag her if it's one on one, me versus her." Gin tells him with a wide grin.

"I'm going to up the odds for you though. You will be given my homemade chloroform and a mask. If you force it up to her face, you can knock her unconscious, it won't last long enough to get her here, you'll have to inject her with this." Aizen says as he withdraws a syringe from his pocket.

"Oh?" Gin says, looking mighty pleased.

"This way she won't make any noise, you have to catch her off guard. She'll pitch to the ground like a bag of potatoes. Get her to the car as quickly as possible, and then inject her. You might even want to consider bringing something to cover her up in. If those bodyguards see you, you're fucked. You'll have the chance since she doesn't want the bodyguards seeing what she's doing either, but you have to do it very quickly. Make sure you cover your hair." Aizen tells him, heart thumping in anticipation.

"That sounds like a really good and sneaky plan," Gin tells him, and he raises his cup.

"We'll say that after it works. You have to complete the process before anybody knows what's happened. You can not afford any mistakes, anything at all could get you caught. Are you willing to take the fall if that happens?" Aizen asks him.

Gin envisions a child that looks like what Rukia used to in the portrait that he had kept for so long. He feels a deep longing for that which he lost over ten long years ago.

"For the kid? You got a deal." Gin says with finality. "Although I'd like to request you keep her alive long enough to give me two kids, and not just one." Gin tells him, playing up his hand while he's still got Aizen drooling at the prospect of owning Rukia. Aizen smiles at him.

"Actually that isn't a hard deal to make, after all it forces me to keep my pet alive longer, and in the long run I think that will make me much happier." Aizen tells him easily. Gin smiles hugely.

"I'll get her." Gin says before he sits there with a silly smirk on his face at his disgusting fantasies.

Aizen walks to his bedroom to have his usual fantasies about how life will change for the better when he finally has his pet here. Her cage is all ready for her. He just has to get her into it. Once again he runs through his mind what the first day will be like.

He imagines she'll be sad and scared, he envisions tears pouring down her face as she finds out she won't be hiding her body from his eyes or his touch anymore. That thought always brings a huge wave of desire, as he envisions her attempting to process the information that he'll be giving to her.

He can't wait to play a psychological mind game with her when he finally shows her that her body _can_ experience pleasure from his touch, whether or not she wants it to. He knows many rape support centers are constantly trying to remind a girl that if a rape results in an orgasm, it's still rape. No means no, even if your body does have a physical reaction. Apparently this really is difficult for a woman to get over, and so he wants Rukia to experience this, and he wants to do it shortly after getting her in the chamber.

The thought of her being in such mental turmoil brings him joy, after all she's been screwing with his head for weeks. It's the least he can do to pay her back.

When Aizen falls asleep, he dreams of the same things he was thinking, which for him meant a pleasant night of dreams. Since he was blessed with so few lately, he actually sleeps well for a change.

J J J J

Rukia sighs as she lays in bed and considers the next day with Ichigo. Life is more like a wonderful dream than anything else these days. It's her bad dreams that drive her out of her own lonely bed to seek sanctuary in his arms. The dreams have slowly gotten more disturbing too. At first it had been only a tiny bit disturbing, with the rough sex and not being able to see the man's face.

It had progressed though. It had changed from that over the past week to being more and more disturbing and strange. There was one dream where there were large hands on her body, and though she could tell they didn't belong to Ichigo, they were still roaming freely all over her body. When Rukia woke up, she felt like she'd cheated on Ichigo and noticed it was only a little past one in the morning. She had snuck over to Ichigo's house and had slept without dreams the rest of that night.

There was another dream that she had where she was all alone, naked in a room by herself, which was terrifying for some reason, and once again she had run to Ichigo's house. Another night she had a really strange dream, where a man was talking to her, in a really nice and calm voice, and in her dream, no matter how soothing the voice sounded, she only got more and more terrified, even though she couldn't see the man or recognize his voice.

She hasn't been free of a freaky and strange dream and most nights she's naked in her dreams at least lately, naked and terrified seems to be the main gist of her dreams. She wonders if she has some sort of sick subconscious mind to have some of the dreams that she's had as of late.

She hasn't told Ichigo any of the details of her dreams, but he knows that her dreams bring her over to his bed. He's been worried she'll get caught when she tries to sneak out, and he's been sneaking with her in the morning, waking up early enough to evade his family to get her back over to her house without being detected.

Rukia bites her lip as she considers what kind of dream will send her into Ichigo's bed tonight. She falls asleep with a sense of dread.

Her dream is disturbing, yet different from the others. In her dream instead of it being her who is experiencing torture, it's another young girl. It's not a girl that Rukia has ever seen before, but her eyes are large, and she is restrained naked to a bed. Rukia hears the dark haired girl muttering madly. Rukia is standing a ways away from the girl in her dream, and the girl does not see her.

"sama…sama…I exist for you…sama." Rukia cannot make out what she says right before the very last sama, but it's definitely a name. The girl's face suddenly starts to contort into a look of primal fear, and once again a voice Rukia doesn't recognize floods her brain.

"_You've waited a long time for my attention. Are you hungry? It doesn't matter if you are or if you aren't because I'm hungry…for you. Yes…I love that look in your eyes_."

Rukia looks back at the girl who looks like she's experiencing the most terrifying experience in her life. She doesn't understand what anyone could love about that terrified look. She moves against the bindings that hold her to the bed and Rukia watches as the restraints are removed for her by a headless man with a white doctor's overcoat,

"_Fight me, if you can," _The man says before he shoves her back onto the bed as she tries to sit up and squirm away from him.

It's no use for the girl. She is completely unable to get away from him, and Rukia watches in horror as the man takes off his overcoat and pants. She can't see anything above his neck which makes the scene that much more creepy, but she can see everything below his waist which is now bare. The man gives the girl a long look at his erection before he starts pushing it in her face. The girl cries and looks away from him, but suddenly the girl is screaming in pain. His back is covering it up, but he's definitely hurting her in some way.

Rukia clenches her fists. She wishes she could fight for the girl. Rukia takes several hesitant steps forward until she is right there. It disgusts her the way the man has pushed himself forcefully into the girl's mouth, and the girl is making gagging noises but the man is groaning.

"You're so good at that," he compliments the girl, and tears start streaming down her face, which seems to excite the man even more. Rukia is horrified. She starts to tell the girl.

"_Fight back! Bite him, grab his fingers and break them, choke him!" _Her words seem to be swallowed up into nothingness as Rukia stares at the grotesque scene before her. The girl appears to be having difficulty doing what the man wants her to do, and she's gagging a lot.

"_This is why you haven't eaten in three days."_ He moans in obvious pleasure as the girl keeps crying. Rukia covers her mouth with her hand and she attempts to push the man away from the girl, but her hands go right through him and instead she ends up with her face in his chest as she catches herself on the bed that they're on.

The man finally stops his oral assault on the girl and gets in between her legs. Rukia never dreamed that sex could be so horrid, so vile, so degrading, and so wrong. She had thought it of course when she had heard the story of the virgin who had been raped, but she feels like she's experiencing it firsthand as she watches the man push himself inside of the girl while he moans happily. The girl is squirming, crying and chanting something unintelligible.

"_Say it_." The man orders. The girl cries harder, it is obvious she doesn't want to say whatever it is he wants her to say. She's struck hard in the face. She screams in pain before giving into the demand. Once again the name is inaudible to Rukia.

"…sama it feels so good when you fuck me…I exist only for you and your desires." The girl cries out in obvious horror in pain.

"That's right, good girl…say it again." He demands. "Say it over and over and over again." He tells her. Rukia turns her back. This is seriously disturbing for Rukia. She kneels down on the floor and she covers her ears, but she can still hear the girl's pained voice.

"I exist only for you…it feels so good….sama. I exist only for your desires…sama…" She sounds almost monotonous which the man seems to notice.

"Say it like you mean it or I'll make you regret it," He threatens her. Rukia thinks listening is just as bad as watching. She can hear every time his body smacks against the girl's body, she can hear every breath drawn, every word except for the man's name spoken, and worst of all she can hear every pained gasp that the girl takes.

"I exist only for you and your desires! It feels so good, fuck me, oh keep fucking me." The girl says it with more emotion, even though it sounds terrorized but it seems to placate her captor. Rukia can hear as he's coming to his climax, and the girl keeps on crying. Rukia doesn't watch the end. She doesn't want to know how it ends.

"Next time you'd better try harder to please me, or else you won't get any food. I'll be back in a half hour to give you another go. If you fail to please me, you'll go without food for another night, but don't worry, I'll force water down your throat if I have to." The man says heartlessly.

Rukia hears the sounds of the girl being restrained and she feels it as the man walks past her and out of the room. The girl is crying ever so softly.

"Momma…daddy…" The girl mutters another name that Rukia doesn't understand and Rukia stands up to go next to the girl, who suddenly seems to be able to see her.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Rukia asks her softly. The girl shakes her head no.

"I am already dead." The girl responds as her skin and flesh disappears from her body and a skeleton is left restrained to the bed instead. Rukia screams.

Rukia sits up in bed and shivers.

_Ichigo!_

Rukia shakes as she hurries out of her room and down the stairs.

_What a vivid and terrifying dream!_

Rukia tears out of the house and hurries into Ichigo's house next door. She rushes up to his room and dives into his bed, waking him up immediately.

"Rukia! What's wrong?" Ichigo looks at her frantically, and she has tears running down her face.

"It was horrible…so horrible Ichigo." Rukia says as she takes a rasping breath.

"Tell me what's wrong!" Ichigo begs her.

"I had a very unsettling dream." Rukia whispers to him, her eyes wild with fright. "It was so real, and yet not real at the same time." She tells him, and Ichigo hugs her close.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He whispers in her ear. Rukia nods her head yes.

"In the dream I had tonight, I was watching a girl get sexually assaulted by a man whose face I could not see. It was like she was being held prisoner for a long time. She kept muttering a name I couldn't hear and then sama at the end of it. He forced her to do things…it was so sick Ichigo! He was hurting her and he was enjoying it! He kept moaning and demanding she say that she liked it. When it was all over, and the man left the room and the girl finally looked right at me. I asked her if I could help her and she told me she was already dead. She lost her skin and flesh right in front of my eyes and turned into a human skeleton." Rukia tells him in a shaky voice.

Ichigo hugs her tighter.

"I'm sorry, Rukia. I'm sorry." Ichigo says it with feeling and emotion and Rukia lets her tears flow against his chest.

"I never have these kinds of dreams when I'm here, with you." Rukia tells him shakily.

"Rest here then." Ichigo says calmly, as he holds her in his arms, hating the terrifying dream she'd been forced to experience. It sounded awful.

"Thanks Ichigo…I love you so much." Rukia whispers before she closes her eyes. The dreams are warded away by his presence so close to her and she doesn't dream the rest of the night.

Once again he gets her out of the house early enough in the morning so that she doesn't get caught, and he wonders why her dreams have begun to haunt her so. He goes back to his room and falls back asleep.

He doesn't have the nightmare problems, he has recurring dreams of making love at the gym. They have plans to arrive at the gym a half hour early and they're going to make love in the pool or sauna depending on their preference at the time.

When Ichigo goes to get Rukia after he wakes up, he gets that feeling like he's being watched and so he looks all around, but he doesn't see anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, so he knocks on Rukia's door and she runs out.

"I've been waiting for you to come get me!" Rukia says with a happy smile.

"Sorry, I fell back asleep for awhile." Ichigo apologizes.

"I was afraid to go back to sleep." Rukia whispers.

"If you want to go lay down in my room, you can. My family will see you coming in, so it's fine if you need some more sleep," Ichigo tells her.

"I wouldn't mind closing my eyes for half an hour or so, but only if you stay with me." Rukia whispers. Ichigo nods.

"Of course, whatever makes you feel better." Ichigo assures her.

He walks her into his house and upstairs after she greets his family. He watches her get into his bed and he lays down with her, pulling her into his arms. They end up staying like this until Yuzu calls them down for lunch.

Rukia feels totally refreshed after her nap with Ichigo. She smiles brightly at him as they eat with the rest of his family. Even though she can't forget about the horrid dream that she had, she's able to put it in the back of her mind. The reason she can't let it go altogether is because it had seemed so mysteriously creepy.

Rukia decides she'll do a search on the internet for missing girls to see if she can find anything that justifies the pit in her stomach every time she sees the girl's face in her head.

Everyone eats lunch quickly, and both Ichigo and Rukia tell his family they won't be at the gym until two. They tell his family they're going on a date first. They grab their gear and Rukia has the car waiting for them. They head to the gym early and they laugh as they're all alone.

They end up making love in the sauna, and it's nothing like the horror that Rukia has been experiencing in her dreams. She craves Ichigo's touch. When they finish, they go to the ladies dressing room together and share a sensuous shower together. They finish before two o'clock and they head over to the gymnastics equipment, smiling at their shared closeness.

Rukia is still working out when his entire family minus Yuzu arrives. Karin walks over and explains that Yuzu is hanging out with a friend, and that she'll be there for sure during Rukia's gymnastics practice the next day, when her coach is there with her. Karin grins and tells Rukia she'll join her sister so that they can swim the length of the pool.

Isshin ends up joining them at the gym and he raves about how magnificent it is, and he is amazed at all of the apparent expense that went into the place for Rukia's personal use. It's not like she could join the town gym though, they don't have gymnastics equipment there.

Isshin ends up joining Karin in the pool, which please Karin because now she's not limited to the shallow end of the pool. Isshin notes with approval the life saving stick with the loop attached hung on the wall near the pool.

Everyone stays for hours working out, and his friends all show up shortly after two as well. The gym is active, and Isshin is impressed that Rukia is such a nice kid to share all of this with everyone. It appears as though she and Tatsuki are becoming fast friends, and Isshin grins at that. He'd always thought those two would get along well.

When everyone is finally ready to leave, Rukia locks up, and she takes the Kurosaki family members who showed up, back home. Renji and Tatsuki walk together, and Sado left earlier than everyone else and is nowhere in sight.

Isshin had noted that the bodyguards were taking their jobs seriously as well, as they kept constant vigilance while everyone had been inside.

Yuzu was already home when the rest of the family arrived and she had dinner ready to be served at seven on the dot.

Isshin goes on and on about how awesome Rukia's gym is, and everyone unanimously agrees that she has the best place to work out in the area.

After dinner, Rukia and Ichigo work hard on their weekend homework until it gets really late. Rukia looks at Ichigo's bed wistfully until she remembers her plans. He walks her home and he kisses her before he hands her the book bag she had at his house.

Rukia heads upstairs, and she stays up for hours, researching missing girls, in Japan and around the world. She clicks on website after website and carefully looks at all of the pictures available. The whole thing is disheartening, especially when she realizes just how many girls actually go missing.

She stays up for hours, hunting for the face of the girl who had haunted her dreams. She wants to not be able to find her, but she finds herself checking site after site until she's searched for four and a half hours. It's then that she clicks onto the face.

_Hinamori Momo, Age sixteen at disappearance. Missing for two years. Reward offered for information leading to the whereabouts._

"This is her…the girl who was in my dream," Rukia says out loud, feeling a sense of dread.

_Is she really dead?_

Rukia feels tears coming out of her eyes. She had a dream of a real missing girl who she had never seen before…what does it mean?

"Hinamori Momo." Rukia says the name loudly. The girl's face is at the forefront of her thoughts now. Rukia doesn't even want to fall asleep, but she's expected to be at a backbreaking gymnastics practice session in under five hours. She has already stayed up way too late.

Either because of exhaustion or just pure luck, Rukia falls asleep without dreaming until her alarm wakes her up.

Rukia meets Ichigo outside and yawns as she heads over to kiss him.

"I'm surprised you didn't come over last night," Ichigo whispers. Rukia gives him a look.

"We need to talk at my house when we get home later." She warns him.

The moments leading up to their talk seem to take forever. Finally though after a killer workout she and Ichigo are walking up to her bedroom. Rukia pulls open her laptop and opens it, taking it off of sleep mode. She waits for the laptop to connect to the wireless network, and then she opens the internet and goes to her favorites. She clicks on the girl's face that she saw and she shows it to Ichigo.

"Hinamori Momo," Ichigo reads as he looks at the page and then at Rukia.

"This is the girl I dreamed about the other day. She was a real girl, and I never saw her face until I saw it in my dream!" Rukia says a bit frantically.

"Really?" Ichigo asks as the blood drains from his face.

"This was her…for sure!" Rukia tells him as she looks at the girl's face staring back at her.

"Has anything like this ever happened to you before?" Ichigo asks with concern.

"Not like this, I've had typical moments where you feel like you're doing something that you've already done, but nothing like this." Rukia tells Ichigo. "But now I know she's real. What am I supposed to make of the dream?" Rukia practically wails as she stares at the girl on her screen.

"I don't know. I don't know if you should read anything into it or if you should let it scare you shitless. I don't know." Ichigo says, completely at a loss for any further words.

"It was haunting me. It was so disturbing, the sensation that dream gave me, like I was seeing something that actually happened. Her fear was on a level that was painful to watch or hear." Rukia tells him in a broken voice.

"You asked her if you could help her, right?" Ichigo confirms. Rukia nods her head yes.

"She turned into a skeleton though." Rukia whispers.

"What did you feel like the dream was trying to tell you?" Ichigo asks next.

"I don't know, that's why I feel so confused! I wish I knew what I was supposed to do, but I don't have any clue! I thought I would gain answers, but instead I've gained more questions." Rukia says in a small voice.

"Is there something else about the dream that you're not telling me?" Ichigo asks her swiftly.

"It gave me an extremely eerie sensation. He undid her bindings so that she could attempt to fight him off and he enjoyed overpowering her. It was really sick and it was something I felt truly disturbed by." Rukia explains to him. "The girl didn't notice me until the man left the room, even though I tried to get her attention." Rukia adds.

"Maybe she was trying to warn you, of the dangers of an abduction." Ichigo says after a moment of silence.

"You really believe something like that is possible?" Rukia asks him fearfully.

"The human brains contain mysteries not yet answered completely by science. Maybe your brain just tuned into some information that was being broadcast to the world." Ichigo says, haltingly throughout his explanation.

"I didn't get enough sleep…will you lay down with me until I fall asleep?" Rukia asks him with a yawn. Ichigo nods.

"Do you want me to wake you for dinner?" He asks her. She smiles at him.

"Of course," she tells him, before she has pleasant dreams of her and Ichigo making love in a field full of bunnies.


	36. Chapter 35: Good Vs Evil

**A/N-I want to take a moment to thank each and every person who has reviewed or favorited this story, I am always inspired by my readers and I appreciate that you think so highly of my story:) On to the chapter!**

**Theresa Crane**

Chapter 35

_Good Vs Evil_

Another week has passed by, and Aizen was informed that there was only one night where the Rukia didn't sneak over to the boy's house. He isn't aware that she was researching his last pet on that night when she didn't go next door to find sanctuary from her nightmares.

He's been spending the week remembering a lot of his last captive, Hinamori Momo, and he hopes to give Rukia similar treatment to that which he gave to Momo.

Gin's going to go the next night, which will be a Sunday, to try and grab her, since it's the day she spends the longest at the gym with the boy, and they will most likely have less energy on that night than any other night. It seems like the best choice for what they have in mind. The only major downfall is that the biggest of all of the bodyguards is expected to guard her street tomorrow night.

Aizen is sitting at his computer when the email from his intended target arrives. He licks his lips eagerly in anticipation.

When he opens it, his hand shakes. He has never been more unnerved by anything in his life.

_Are you familiar with the disappearance of Hinamori Momo?_

_Kuchiki Rukia_

J J J J

Rukia's bad dreams only leave her alone when she's in Ichigo's bed with him. After researching as much about Hinamori Momo as she could all week long, she finally decides to ask for the perspective of Aizen-sensei. She doesn't know how to get into the discussion, and she certainly doesn't want to reveal the nature of her unsettling dreams the past couple of weeks, nor did she want to admit right off the bat that she had dreamed of the girl.

Since the girl had gone missing in Tokyo, Rukia decided to approach it by asking if he'd ever heard of the girl's disappearance. With his amazing memory, he might remember, and Rukia can then ease into how she saw the girl in her dream, though she has no desire to share the exact nature of her dream to Aizen-sensei.

Rukia sighs as she flops into her bed. The days seem to pass by more swiftly, and she and Ichigo keep on with their busy schedule. Ichigo had finally gotten the dummies out of storage, and Rukia's ability to execute his move was mastered within two days. She had a good hang of it the first day, and Ichigo let her try it on him, and she successfully executed the move on Wednesday.

Ichigo had given her such a proud look when she successfully flipped him over, and then was able to use her hands to catch herself on the ground as she flipped him over, and was able to spring up to her feet without ever falling on her ass. She had fallen a few times when practicing with the dummy, when it got caught up in her legs, but it worked perfectly with Ichigo.

He had confided that it was his opinion that the dummies were actually more difficult to flip than people.

Rukia sighs dreamily as she thinks about how much she's enjoying life these days. When she thinks about Ichigo, she always feels better, which is why she always thinks about him after she has thoughts about Hinamori Momo.

She doubts the professor has ever even heard of the girl, and she wonders if he'll think she's strange for asking. She knows that missing persons cases sometimes get a lot of coverage, maybe he remembers seeing something on the girl. Rukia can't forget how truly horrifying it was when she heard the girl say that she was already dead, in the dream that Rukia had.

Rukia has a strong feeling that in her sleep she somehow tapped into something very real. The fact that the girl existed and was missing seems to be proof enough of that. Rukia is terrified though, that she saw what might have happened to the girl after she went missing, and whenever she thinks of that, she feels chills run through her body.

Why could she see the girl and not the man? Rukia wonders why she was an observer, and why she couldn't rip the man off of the girl. Rukia hates to think that the girl experienced such hell before dying, if she is in fact dead.

Rukia hasn't even been able to let go of the details of the dream, other than the fact that she couldn't hear some of the words that came from the girl's lips, and she couldn't see the man's face, she remembers everything quite clearly. She especially remembers the very cold way in which the man was treating the obviously terrified girl. Rukia gets angry every time she remembers the way he got apparent enjoyment out of the girl's pain and fear.

_If only she had known some Gracie Jiu-jitsu. She could have had a chance then._

Rukia feels a lot of gratitude that her sister insisted that Rukia be trained in martial arts. Any man who tried what they had with the girl from her dreams would definitely not be left with that sick smile on his face, because she would not allow it.

_Why do there have to be so many sick people in the world?_

Her life has been blessed, all because she met Ichigo at the most critical moment in her life. It's not fair that so many girls go missing, get raped, experience such unhappiness, and get preyed upon. Rukia pulls a barrette out of her hair and pulls the blade out without looking. She slowly turns the knife in her hand as is her habit of late, every time she lays there in bed, just thinking.

The knife in her hand comforts her. She wishes she could castrate the bastard in her dreams, and make it impossible for him to use that part of his body to ever hurt another woman. She would have no problems taking care of that for the guy either, except that she has no idea who he is.

J J J J

Aizen stares at the email. Of all of the things that she could have emailed him about, this astounds him the most. He thinks of the pictures that he took of his pet Momo while he had her in captivity.

_Why in the hell is she asking me about this?_

Aizen has the brief fear that she's somehow figured out his game, but he doesn't even know how something like that can be possible. He also doesn't know how to respond to her email. The most obvious response would be to say he's never heard that name before in his life. There was never any connection made between him and the girl, and he had never been questioned in regards to her whereabouts, nor had his home ever been searched.

For some reason, he cannot let himself type that lie, because if he does type that lie he may never find out why she's asking, and he wants to know. He decides to play it off like he vaguely remembers, and it takes him a long time to write a response that satisfies him.

_I vaguely recall hearing that name. Upon your asking, I researched and realized why. She was a sixteen year old girl that went missing here in Tokyo. I'm curious to know why you're asking me about her._

_Professor Aizen Sousuke_

He finally presses send, and he feels a wave of anticipation run all throughout his body. He hadn't thought for one second that she would email him to ask him about the disappearance of his last abducted sex slave.

He knew his men had gotten her first, and when she'd been restrained in his hidden chamber, she had the most beautiful look of terror about her. Aizen had been very pleased that she never failed to lose her fear, not even up to the last second of her life, not that he would have allowed her to. She had even had that fear when she had that defiant look, which he had only seen the first day when he'd informed her that she would serve his desires.

He hates that Kuchiki Rukia has made him doubt himself, not only that, she's thwarted him with every attempt he's made to capture her. She's the most elusive girl he could have developed an obsession with. Her brother has ridiculously strong bodyguards watching over her, and she's practically attached at the hip to the kid next door to her.

It seems she surrounds herself with people who are ready and capable of protecting her from any harm. Aizen contemplates whether or not Byakuya purposely settled his sister at this location, knowing she would be well protected and looked after.

Byakuya has been a thorn in both his and Gin's lives for a long time, since he constantly moved Rukia the moment the men even got a whiff of her.

Now he leaves her in a location that may as well be a damned fort for all the trouble he's having.

Aizen knows that Gin's planned attempt is actually viable, so long as she's knocked unconscious before she has the chance to shout for help. Aizen will fall over laughing in joy if Gin is actually successful.

Unfortunately, in regards to this particular girl, nothing ever seems to work out as planned.

J J J J

Once again, Rukia dreams of Momo, which she hasn't done since the first time she dreamed of her, and this dream is far different. This dream is obviously of the girl's abduction. It was nighttime, and she was obviously hurrying home. She had on a skirt and blouse, and she looks young, innocent, and then terrified.

This time Rukia isn't in the scene, it's more like a movie that she's watching and can't turn off.

Rukia's heart races when four men, dressed all in black pop out in front of her and laugh with amusement as they quickly box her in. They quickly force her out of sight of the road, hidden behind a few trees, perfect for their operation.

"We've been waiting for you, don't you know that you're late?" One man asks with a chuckle. Momo just stares up in fear and then squawks when one man feels up her leg very quickly and lets his hand go up her skirt. Momo quickly bats his hand away but the moment her arm comes out, another man grabs it. He quickly gets behind her as one of his companions grabs her other arm. He pulls it back and the man holding her right arm takes her left hand from his companion.

Momo squirms in fear as the other three men stand in front of her and look at her with a disturbing interest. One man reaches forward and puts his finger at the top of her blouse and then jerks his hand downward, effectively popping off her buttons, leaving her blouse hanging open a bit. Momo screams at that and her eyes widen as the other men all chuckle.

The man reaches in and grabs her bra from the very center of it in the front and yanks on it until he snaps it. It hurts Momo a great deal when he does that as the material pulled and stretched against her back in a rough way until the fabric gave way to his strength. Momo cries and attempts to struggle as the man pushes the material away so that her breasts can be seen. He then starts to work on her underwear, and the other two guys hold her legs to keep her from kicking the man in front of her in the face as he yanks down her panties quickly.

"Quit your crying, you are one lucky bitch to be getting it as good as you're about to. Have you ever heard of a gang bang?" The man behind her asks her in her ear with a snarl. Momo is silenced by the man who just pulled off her panties. He shoves them into her mouth and once again his companions smile and seem amused.

Rukia feels a real fear for the girl as the man undoes his pants quickly to reveal his ereaction. Momo closes her eyes and keeps on crying as the man puts his hands all over her body, on places nobody has ever touched, in ways she didn't want to experience.

She grimaces and doesn't open her eyes when she hears him spit, and Rukia feels so dirty as she watches the man spit in his hand and then run his hand in between her legs. She can't stand how the man crudely laughs and talks down to the girl.

"She's ready." The guy says. The man behind her, suddenly repositions her arms high above her head and the other two men both grab a leg, holding her in the air and they lower her just a little bit before they drop her on her back on the ground.

The impact hurts Momo, but before she can even think about reacting, the man who had exposed himself falls on top of her, adding to the pain. Her hands are quickly held by the man who had been behind her above her head and the man who had been in front of her, positions himself to enter her.

Momo lets out a loud pained scream when the man penetrates her, the underwear don't muffle it very much.

Rukia's dream doesn't end there, she's forced to watch as all four men get a turn in before they tie up her arms and legs and throw her into a car and drive away.

Rukia wakes up with sweat on her face. She pops out of bed and runs to her bathroom and quickly splashes some water onto her face before she wipes it off with a towel. She quickly heads downstairs and looks out the front door. Ikkaku is passing by and Rukia waits for a few moments after he passes by before she lets herself out of her house and dashes over to Ichigo's house.

When she gets into his arms, she's finally able to sleep peacefully, and though she dreams, it's not anything she remembers when she wakes up in Ichigo's arms.

As his normal routine is, he wakes her up and gets her home before anybody else can be wise to her stunt. Ichigo disarms the security system and notices Yumichika is there, right outside walking around. He looks bored but they manage to escape his view as Rukia slips into her house and Ichigo heads back home.

When Rukia heads up to her bedroom, she gets back onto her laptop and notices the reply from Aizen-sensei.

Rukia lets out an irritable sigh. She decides to tell him simply why she asked when she responds.

_She has appeared in a couple of my dreams. Is this a typical phenomenon? I thought you might be able to tell me._

_Kuchiki Rukia_

Rukia heads into the bathroom to soak before gymnastics practice with her coach and Ichigo.

J J J J

"I have that uneasy feeling again, big time." Ichigo tells Rukia. They're in his room for the evening, with all of their homework completed. He crawls into bed and lays down next to her.

"Me too." Rukia tells him softly. Ichigo's arm slides around her and Rukia scoots a little closer to him.

"At least I feel prepared for a confrontation, after all of the hard workouts we've been putting in the past couple of weeks." Ichigo tells her, his voice very serious.

"I feel more prepared too, especially since I learned your new technique." Rukia tells him proudly, and she knows she is glad she learned it so swiftly. It makes her feel even more able to protect herself.

"What did you dream about last night?" Ichigo asks shrewdly. He can tell that something has been weighing on her mind, and he kind of figures it was whatever dream she'd had last night that had brought her over to his bed again.

"It was about her again." Rukia tells him in a soft voice.

"Was it a repeat of the last dream?" Ichigo asks next.

"No, although it was just as disturbing. This dream was of her actual abduction. She was raped by four men before they tied her up and threw her into a car and drove off." Rukia tells him, not sharing the disturbing details of the abduction besides what she'd already mentioned.

"Damn. In the past month or so, I've heard more about rape than I ever wanted to hear." Ichigo mutters softly, remembering the men who had shown up at Rukia's house with the intentions of raping her.

"It was beyond disturbing, it was totally terrifying, and it felt like it was a real occurrence." Rukia says softly.

"I'm sorry." Ichigo whispers, hating that she has such awful nightmares.

"I just want you to hold me," Rukia tells him, and his grasp tightens around her.

They hold each other until it's time for him to take her home. Both of them feel uneasy as they head outside and Ichigo is glad she lives right next door. He gets her into her house safely, and then looks all around.

He doesn't like the feeling that he gets as he stands there at all. He quickly walks back home and arms the security system.

It takes him awhile to fall asleep. He was hoping to stay up until Rukia appears, due to the uneasiness, but his exhaustion finally catches up with him, and he falls asleep.

J J J J

Rukia jumps when her cell phone rings, just as she's getting ready to lay down. She quickly grabs it up and answers it. She hadn't looked at the number before answering and she's surprised at who is on the other end.

"Hello?" Rukia asks.

"Hello." Aizen answers, and Rukia's eyes widen.

"Aizen-sensei?" Rukia asks quickly. She hadn't expected him to call.

"Yes, sorry if you didn't recognize the number, I'm not at home. I wanted to call you though before it got too late." Aizen tells her, impatient to hear about her dreams. He had gotten a stolen cell phone from Kira, who was eager to win back Aizen's approval.

"Oh, how considerate of you." Rukia says it evenly and Aizen cannot tell if she is being sarcastic or not.

"I was calling because your email sparked my curiosity. You say you dreamed about a missing girl?" Aizen asks her with narrowed eyes. Rukia can feel her cheeks heating up a bit at his comment.

"Yes." Rukia says softly.

"Please tell me about your dreams. How many have you had?" He asks her.

"Only two." Rukia tells him.

"I'd like to hear about these dreams." Aizen tells her softly. Rukia gulps. She does not want to talk about the details of her dreams.

"It's embarrassing." Rukia finally stammers out. Aizen smiles. Obviously she didn't contact him about the girl because she suspected him.

"I am a professional. It may be hard to talk about, but I may be able to help you." Aizen tells her.

"I know, it's not you. I just have difficulty saying out loud what I saw in my dreams." Rukia explains.

"You contacted me so that I could help you, didn't you? Let go of the embarrassment and tell me about your dreams." He says in a more commanding voice. "We're friends, aren't we?" Aizen adds with a smirk.

"You're right." Rukia sighs before she continues. Her cheeks burn in embarrassment. "The first dream I had of the girl was of her being held captive in a room. She was restrained and naked. She was muttering as though she was starting to go mad, and then a man walked into the room and seemed to get enjoyment out of her terror. He undid the restraints and then forced her to do things." Rukia says, feeling her face heat up. Aizen's face heats up too, although in excitement, not in embarrassment. He's glad nobody's around to see him since he couldn't make the call from his home.

"What did he force her to do?" Aizen asks as he unzips his pants.

"Sexual things." Rukia answers after a long moment of hesitation.

"What kinds of sexual things?" Aizen asks next. Rukia had hoped he wouldn't ask that.

"He forced himself into her mouth and then he forced himself into her and had sex with her against her will." Rukia says, feeling mortified.

"What about the man?" Aizen asks next as his hand pauses from moving.

"I never got to see his face. He hurt her in order to make her do those degrading things with him." Rukia says sadly. Aizen's hand resumes moving. "It was obvious that he enjoyed it." Rukia says after a pause.

"It really scared you, didn't it?" Aizen asks in a comforting tone while he smiles broadly.

"It disgusted me," Rukia corrects him. Of _course_ it had scared her, but Ichigo is the only one she'll admit that to. Aizen wishes she would have said she was scared. He liked how she was scared after her servant went missing.

"What about the second dream?" Aizen asks next.

"That was of her abduction. I dreamed of her being abducted and raped by four men before they tied her up and threw her into a car." Rukia says quickly.

"Interesting that you would dream of a girl that actually went missing." Aizen says, hoping he has her by morning. "Has that ever happened before?" He asks her curiously.

"No. Is this anything you've ever heard of before?" Rukia asks him.

"I'll research it and get back to you. I don't want to keep you up too late." Aizen says with a smile. The longer he keeps her awake, the longer it will be until she attempts to sneak next door, only to run into Gin.

"Thank you, please get back to me soon." Rukia tells him in an obviously sleepy voice.

"Of course. Bye." Aizen tells her. He had longed to tell her that he would probably get back to her sooner than she thinks, but he doesn't want any of her suspicion directed at him.

"Bye, Aizen-sensei." Rukia tells him. She watches for the call to end. She sticks her phone back in her purse and lays down in bed. She wonders if he'll be able to find out anything that will make her feel better.

When she finally closes her eyes, she has another dream that she's restrained, naked. This time she's on the bed that Hinamori Momo had been. The man without a head is not in the room, and for once, Rukia isn't scared in her dream. She knows that if she shows fear, that will please the man, and he'll likely appear.

The dream is still extremely disturbing though, because the girl that she watched go through a degrading series of rapes is standing in the room with her. She's in a black kimono, and she is looking at Rukia with tears streaming down her face.

She looks so devastated over Rukia's condition, and Rukia knows it doesn't look good, but on some level, she's also aware that this is a dream. She wills the restraints to loosen, and they do. Rukia grabs the blanket on the table and wraps it around herself. Dream or not, she doesn't typically have chats with people naked, unless of course, it's Ichigo.

Rukia slowly walks over to the girl. Hinamori sinks to her knees, and her tears seem to subside a bit.

"I am so sorry for all of the horror that you have had to endure, it's something that no person should ever go through." Rukia tells her softly. Hinamori raises her head and gives Rukia a wide eyed look.

"You should be sorry for yourself." Hinamori says to her in a hard voice, despite her earlier apparent concern for Rukia.

"Why? Please tell me why I keep having visions of you!" Rukia says desperately, pleading with the girl to reveal her true motives.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hinamori asks in disbelief as she looks around the room. Her eyes snap back to Rukia.

"No…I'm sorry. I'm so confused." Rukia whispers softly as she watches the girl's eyes narrow in a bit of anger.

"Evil is after you. It has been after you your whole life. How can you be so blissfully naïve?" Momo asks in a disappointed voice.

"No, I had many peaceful years. It's true that a few attempts have been made on me, but I've always been saved." Rukia tells her as she tries to understand why the girl is so mad at her. She was hoping that the girl would confide in her, and tell her all of the things that she wants to know.

"I used to see the good in life too. I changed my views on humanity in the last four months of my life." Hinamori tells her in a hard voice. Rukia gets it now. This girl won't be friendly to _anybody_ after what she's endured.

"I apologize for irritating you. I would like to tell you about the good in humanity but I'm afraid you wouldn't want to hear it. I'm more interested in why I'm having dreams about you." Rukia tells her calmly.

"I'm only going to say this one time, and it had better sink into your skull. The man who arranged to have me delivered to him is the kind of criminal that law enforcement refers to a repeat offender. He told me that he likes petite women who look young but don't have the bodies of children. He told me I was perfect to be his new pet. He told me I would spend the rest of my life serving him, and do you know what? I did. I spent the last four months of my life living only for him. It was worse than you can imagine, even though I showed you one of the less painful times." The girl says in a low voice which is nearly devoid of any emotion.

"You were here for four months?" Rukia asks her horrified as she looks around the room.

"He loves to inflict pain and fear. It's all I felt the whole time I was here. Do you know how long four months can feel like? It can feel like four centuries if you're in enough pain and you're afraid enough. I embraced death when it finally took me." Hinamori tells her with a nod of her head.

"I understand all of that. I still don't know why you are appearing. Does this mean you have not passed on?" Rukia asks in confusion. Momo growls in frustration.

"This is not about me!" Hinamori shouts this and Rukia jumps in surprise.

"I'm sorry!" Rukia says quickly. No way does she want to upset this girl. She's been through enough.

"I'm here because you're next!" Hinamori shouts, as her eyes turn red in anger. "This has never been about me, this has been about you! The whole time. You still don't get it?" Hinamori asks her with obvious disbelief. Rukia gives her a hard look.

"I'm not next. No way will that happen to me." Rukia tells her, even though her heart is pounding at the girl's words.

"He'll never give up on having you." Hinamori tells her in a hard voice.

"He'll die trying." Rukia responds in the same manner.

"Everyone has a vulnerable moment. The control you exhibited was only temporary, and from where I sit, you're done for." Hinamori tells her. "Look." Rukia is stunned as the blanket is ripped off of her by an unseen source. She glances around but she doesn't see anyone there. She suddenly feels like she's been pushed and she lands back in the bed. The restraints that she had loosened by will are now restraining her again. Rukia doesn't understand it.

"What?" Rukia asks, not understanding at all.

The girl is gone, and the door to the room opens. The headless man walks into the room and walks over to stand next to her.

"I know you've been waiting for me, but I've been waiting even longer for you. I am happy you belong to me." The man's voice is distorted, and it sounds like it's not even human.

Rukia forces herself to glare at him, even though the fear is quickly running rampant through her body.

_It's just a dream…wake up!_

Rukia repeats that chant over again and again in her mind. His hand reaches out to touch her and just as he's about to put his hand in between her legs, she wakes up and sits up straight in bed.

She can feel her legs shaking. All she wants now is to be in Ichigo's arms. She stands and silently leaves her bedroom. She tiptoes downstairs and creeps towards the window and she sees Kenpachi walking directly in front of her house at a quick speed. She waits for fifteen seconds before she acts.

Rukia runs over to the security system and programs so that it rearms after she leaves. She only has one minute. She goes to the front door and slips out quickly and quietly.

She is instantly hit with a very disturbing sensation. It's so bad that she can practically feel her body hair standing on end, screaming out and alerting her to danger. Rukia looks around, and doesn't see anything.

She hurries over towards Ichigo's house and with each step she takes, her body reacts more strongly like there's danger.

She suddenly senses someone in her personal space behind her and she brings her arms up to the side, knocking away an arm and she jumps forward about two meters and spins around to get a look at her attacker.

"Hey!" Rukia yelps out as she lands.

He's in a ski mask. He has a surgical mask in his hand, which she hadn't expected, and she immediately readies herself by getting into a fighting stance.

The noise woke Ichigo instantly and he sits up in bed and blinks. He looks around his room, thinking that maybe Rukia had just entered, but he doesn't see her.

"What was that noise?" Ichigo mutters in a sleepy voice, even though he's fully alert. The sensation he has right now is really bad.

He looks out the window and sees a man charging at Rukia. Ichigo doesn't watch to see what happens, he dashes out of his room.

Rukia is prepared when the man charges at her. She quickly positions herself to be standing facing him with her feet out a little bit further than her shoulders. As he's charging forward leaning his weight in and the mask is coming towards her face, Rukia quickly crosses her left foot behind her right as far as she can step and leans to the side and back a little bit with her right leg left stretched far out like a rope. The man in the mask trips over her outstretched leg and flies face first into the ground.

Rukia leaps on him in an instant. She begins to choke him and she instinctively holds her breath while she does, since he's pushing the mask towards her face as she's choking him. She tightens her hold. Unfortunately, she takes a deep inhaling breath as she tightens her hold and she immediately starts to feel dizzy. Her head starts to hurt next, but she doesn't stop choking the man. The moment she feels him stop struggling, she loosens her hold on him and backs almost a meter way from him.

She feels herself pitching to the ground, but she doesn't feel herself land.

Ichigo fell down the stairs in his haste and he had momentarily stunned himself when he cracked his head on the landing. When he's able to stand, several seconds later, he dashes out the front door, not worrying about disarming the system.

When he turns the corner, his heart pounds in fear, as he sees Rukia in light pink rabbit pajamas, laying on the ground not moving a muscle. He quickly dashes over to her side and feels her neck.

He breathes a sigh of relief when he feels her pulse. He quickly turns to the other figure laying on the ground. Ichigo goes over to him, and rips off the ski mask, revealing white hair. The man appears to be about his father's age too... maybe a bit older. He's unconscious. Ichigo can see him breathing.

Ichigo stares at the man. He doesn't want to be looking away if the guy wakes up before the police arrive.

There is a surgical mask, laying on the ground in between Rukia and the man. Ichigo had noticed it but he doesn't look at it now. He breathes a sigh of relief when the police pull into the driveway and he waves his arms frantically at them. They rush over, and ask him what happened.

Ichigo explains that he woke up to the two struggling and that when he came outside, they were both unconscious. Isshin walks outside due to all of the noise and his face turns white when he sees Rukia on the ground.

"Ichigo, carry her into the clinic!" Isshin says with obvious panic. Ichigo immediately hustles to Rukia's unconscious form and picks her up in his arms. As he's carrying her, he talks softly to her.

"You did a good job with that shit head. You had better be okay. I hope you didn't faint after the way you lectured Yuzu." Ichigo says in an uncertain tone. She looks just fine besides being unconscious. Of all of the things he ever expected of Rukia when confronted in an attack, her winding up unconscious was not one of the scenarios.

"Something is wrong." Isshin tells Ichigo as he pulls out his smelling salts. "She's not the type to pass out during a confrontation." Isshin adds, and Ichigo knows he's right.

"What do you think is wrong?" Ichigo asks his father. Isshin shakes his head. He puts the smelling salts to her nose, but they don't take effect. Isshin quickly snaps on some gloves.

"There's no blood, thank goodness." Isshin tells him as he yanks on his stethoscope and slides in under Rukia's pajama top as he listens to her heart.

Ichigo feels himself growing more and more worried since Rukia's eyes haven't opened.

"You're right. This isn't like her at all." Ichigo tells Isshin. He watches as his father looks a bit more worried.

"I think she was drugged." Isshin tells Ichigo with a look of concern.

"That would make sense." Ichigo agrees slowly. "There was a surgical mask outside, I wonder if the police took it with them." Ichigo tells his dad. Isshin's eyes widen at that information.

"I'll go look." Isshin tells Ichigo. His father leaves the room and Ichigo looks down at Rukia who appears to be quite peaceful. He holds her hand tightly, hoping she can sense him there. He wishes it had been him against the assailant. He can't stand that she is laying here like this.

"Damn it Rukia…" Ichigo trails off.

J J J J

"Gin was captured." Kira tells Aizen in a broken up voice.

"What happened?" Aizen asks him.

"I couldn't see it all clearly, but they struggled and both ended up laying on the ground. I was about to open my car door to go grab her up when the kid next door came barreling outside. The police arrived and I'm still out front now. Driving away seemed too suspicious. I'll leave when the police do." Kira tells him. Aizen sighs into the phone.

"Let me know if anything else happens." Aizen tells him.

"Understood." Kira tells him before hanging up the phone. Kira stays ducked out of view. He doesn't dare look for fear of being spotted.

He'll wait until he hears the police cars pulling away before he does anything else.

He doesn't see Isshin come outside and talk to the police about his concerns regarding what the attacker did to Rukia. They allow him to pick up and smell the mask since he's wearing latex gloves and there's no risk of contaminating the evidence.

J J J J

Byakuya is fuming. Apparently Kenpachi thinks that Rukia spotted the man outside and went to confront him. (since he's unaware of her nightly excursions to Ichigo's house) Kenpachi had stayed out of sight of the police since he doesn't deal very well with authority figures, besides Byakuya.

The man, whoever he is, had regained consciousness after the police arrived, and they had carted him off for interrogation.

He knows Ichigo or Rukia will call, and let him know what happened, but he's still angry that someone was able to get that close to his sister. There's not a whole lot more he can do to step up security, without adding another man so that two patrol at night. He decides to start looking through candidates.

J J J J

Ichigo doesn't like the grim look on his father's face as he enters the room.

"What is it?" Ichigo asks immediately.

"I suspect that the mask was doused with chloroform. If it was, she won't wake up for at least another twenty minutes." Isshin tells Ichigo.

"What does that mean?" Ichigo asks, not really understanding.

"It means it was that man's intention to knock her out to prevent her from doing what she succeeded in doing before she got knocked out herself. I believe it was another attempted abduction. The mask is being sent for testing." Isshin tells Ichigo who nods in understanding.

"I hope she wakes up soon, are there any negative side effects we should worry about?" Ichigo asks, staring up at his dad.

"Chloroform can be very dangerous. Prolonged exposure can actually be deadly, though it's not common." Isshin tells his son.

"That son of a bitch." Ichigo growls.

"He's awake now, they were driving off with him when I came back inside. He'll be in interrogation now." Isshin tells Ichigo, who nods as he stares at Rukia's unconscious form.

"He's lucky he's not dead for what he pulled." Ichigo says softly.

"I'm glad you held back. We may finally be able to get some answers now." Isshin tells his son. Ichigo hopes his dad is right.

They both stand in silence, staring at Rukia willing her to wake up.


	37. Chapter 36: Gin

Chapter 36

_Gin_

When Rukia's eyes finally open, Ichigo is so relieved. She looks up at him and their surroundings in confusion.

"Rukia!" Ichigo says, happy that she's no longer unconscious.

"What happened to me?" Rukia asks as she feels disoriented.

"You don't remember struggling with someone?" Ichigo asks her in concern. Rukia's eyes widen.

"That's right, I choked him until he was unconscious, but I was feeling dizzy, and then my head started to hurt." Rukia tells Ichigo. Isshin walks out of the room to leave them alone.

"I woke up to hear you shout, and when I saw the guy charging at you, I took off to come help you, but I fell down the steps. When I finally made it outside, both of you were unconscious. You had me so worried. I'm so glad you are alright." Ichigo tells her softly before leaning over to kiss her forehead.

"I had another scary dream." Rukia tells him. Ichigo looks confused since he thought she'd want to talk about the attack, but he decides to go her route anyways.

"What about?" Ichigo asks with interest.

"That girl, Hinamori Momo, she told me I was next for the guy who got her." Rukia whispers to him. "She also told me he'll never give up." Rukia admits sadly.

"I won't let anything happen to you. From now on, when you want to come over, call me first, that way I can meet you outside." Ichigo tells her softly.

"Okay." Rukia says, giving him a weak smile for all of his concern.

"I don't know what I would do if I lost you." Ichigo mutters as he runs his fingers through her hair.

"You're not going to lose me," Rukia tells him with feeling.

"Damn straight." Ichigo tells her.

"I really want a shower." Rukia tells him next.

"I'll tell my dad you're going to use ours and spend the night. I'll get you a tee-shirt and then you can stay in my room. I'll call your brother, too." Ichigo tells her softly.

"Don't tell him I was sneaking over, tell him I had a strange feeling and went outside to verify it." Rukia instructs him. She doesn't even want to hear her brother's opinion on her late night habits. He would probably be very angry if he knew what she had been up to lately.

"Got it." Ichigo agrees before he helps her up and they head upstairs. Rukia waits for Ichigo to get her an oversized tee-shirt before she heads into the bathroom.

Ichigo grabs his cell phone up and sighs with aggravation. He really doesn't even want to call her emotionless brother this late at night. He knows if he doesn't call, it will look bad since there's always a bodyguard on the street who has probably already called Byakuya to tell him there was trouble tonight.

He dials the number reluctantly and he's actually surprised when Byakuya doesn't answer. He's very relieved too.

"I'm just calling to let you know that Rukia had a run in with another person who wanted to abduct her, but she's okay. She choked him out before she passed out from the chloroform. She's awake now, and we're keeping her over here for the night. Call Rukia if you have any questions. Bye." Ichigo presses end and bites his lip as he sets his phone down.

He lays in bed and considers the fact that Rukia has been attacked yet again, and he hates that he wasn't there in time be of any use. He wonders who the man was, and is really relieved that she's more than capable of holding her own, even when someone is using something as effective as chloroform to try and subdue her.

When Rukia appears, freshly bathed and in his tee-shirt, Ichigo sits up and looks at her.

"How are you feeling?" Ichigo asks as he stares at her.

"I feel a lot better now. What did Byakuya ni-sama say?" Rukia asks as she walks closer to the bed, closer to him.

"He didn't answer. I left him a message." Ichigo tells her as she reaches the bed and sits next to him.

"Good. Turn off your phone, I don't want to deal with him until we wake up after a decent amount of rest. I'm not so sure I'll even be able to go to class tomorrow." Rukia tells him with an exhausted yawn.

"If you don't go, I'm not going either." Ichigo tells her firmly. Rukia nods and she leans over to kiss him.

"I'll be able to sleep now that I'm here with you," Rukia tells him as he pulls her into his arms and they snuggle close to one another.

J J J J

"Yeah, I'll confess." Gin says with quite a bit of amusement in his voice. The officer smacks his hand on the wall, hard and Gin just stares up at him.

"Do you think this is funny? We have your fingerprints. We're going to see just who you really are since I don't believe for one minute that you are whatever fool name you claimed you were earlier." The officer says loudly, since the man seems to find this all entertaining.

"You talk too much." Gin tells him in an irritated voice. "Give me a pen and paper, I'll confess in writing since you don't want to listen to my confession." Gin tells him as he glares up at the officer.

The officer's face turns red with anger, and he gets right into Gin's face and spit flies out of his mouth as he says what he has to say next.

"That was a fifteen year old girl that you assaulted tonight. Why did you do it?" The officer asks him.

"I wanted to fuck her. Those young ones are always so fucking ripe, just waiting to be picked…you know what I mean?" Gin asks before he nods his head at the officer and gives him an arrogant grin. "You know." Gin says with a suggestive note to his voice.

"So why did you use chloroform, if you just wanted to do that?" The officer asks next. Gin looks at the officer like he's brainless.

"I didn't want to fight her I wanted to ram my rod in her tight little-" Gin is cut off by the officer grabbing him by the hair and yanking his head back.

"Were you going to abduct her?" The officer asks next.

"You really aren't all that bright are you? Can I get a cop with half a brain around here? Does this town even have any of those?" Gin asks with a bored yawn. He smirks at the way the vein in the officer's forehead starts to bulge.

The officer has had enough of Gin's smartass, disrespectful, and amused attitude. He neatly jams his knee into Gin's crotch.

"Ow." Gin says as he cups his tender area and glares at the officer.

"I'm not amused. I have a fifteen year old daughter you know." The officer hisses at him. Gin looks up at the officer in curiosity.

"I bet she'd look real pretty with my cock in her mouth." Gin tells him, earning him a punch in the face. "You're only mad because you know it's true." Gin says with a chuckle.

A second officer steps into the interrogation room.

"You were supposed to wait for me, you were only supposed to keep an eye on him." The other officer says in a low voice against the officer's ear.

"He said he wanted to confess." The officer is so angry he's surprised he can get the words out calmly.

"Maybe you should go get the chief and also get him a pen and paper. I'll stay with him this time." The newly arrived officer says.

"My pleasure." The first officer agrees. He quickly leaves the room, and Gin looks up at the second officer with interest.

"What did you say to get him all worked up?" The officer asks him. Gin grins a bit.

"I told him that his fifteen year old daughter would look real pretty with my cock in her mouth. Then his sanity just up and went bye-bye." Gin says with a calm wave of his hand. The officer's eyes widen.

"No wonder he lost it…you're outrageous." The officer tells him as he looks down at the man.

"Yeah that's me. How long is it going to take to get a pen and paper around here anyways?" Gin asks the officer with a hint of impatience in his voice.

"It will be here soon. You really wanted to rape that little girl tonight?" The officer asks, a bit disgusted at the man's intentions.

"Shit, she's not that young, she has tits doesn't she?" Gin says to the officer with a bit of a scoff.

"She was so small I thought she was a child at first." The officer tells Gin with a serious look in his eyes.

"Your concept of a child and my concept of one are two different things." Gin informs the officer. "What about you? You have any kids?" He asks the man. The officer shakes his head no even though he does. He won't let this man get to him like he got to the last officer.

"How long have you been after that girl?" The officer asks Gin, who gives him a creepy smile.

"A real, real long time." Gin tells him as he stares down at his crotch which is still throbbing a little bit from the last officer's reaction to him earlier.

"Did you have anything to do with the other recent abduction attempt made on her?" The police ask Gin, since they're unaware of what happened at the party. Gin gives the officer a real quick nod.

"You could call it an obsession if you like." Gin tells him.

A third officer hurries into the room.

"You're not going to believe who this man really is." The officer says excitedly.

"Who am I?" Gin asks with a sudden sense of dread.

"This man has been wanted for over ten years for the murder of Kanzaki Kyoko, and the attempted kidnapping of her younger daughter who was known back than as Kanzaki Rukia. He's changed his appearance, but it is definitely him! This man is Ichimaru Gin, uncle to Kuchiki Rukia on her birthfather's side. This man is a wanted killer!" The officer tells him wide eyed. They both look at Gin.

"Things just got more complicated." Gin mutters, no longer smirking.

"Apparently the chief got a call from Kuchiki Byakuya, the girl's brother who has close ties to the Prime Minister of Japan, has requested to be informed of any developments in this case. The chief is on the phone with him right now.

"You're fucked." The officer who just got the news gives Gin a pleased smile.

"Pretty much," Gin concedes as he sinks lower in his chair.

"He's going to be presented to a judge in the morning." The officer shares with them both.

"Ah, sweet justice." The officers smile and cross their arms. They feel like they've done a good job today.

J J J J

Byakuya cannot believe it. The man that the police have in their custody is the man who first came after her when she was just a little girl. It sounds too good to be true, that they finally have the man who is responsible for the murder of the woman who was mother to his wife and sister.

He feels himself breathing a bit hard at such a revelation. Rukia had confronted her mother's killer, and she'd come out of it alive. It was so much to take in, and Byakuya pours himself a cup of sake and he walks over to his wife's shrine.

"He's finally been caught, Hisana, and it was your sister who pulled it off." Byakuya says in a low voice as he gazes at his wife's picture. He swears that he sees the smile on her face grow brighter at his words.

_Rukia…how will she react to this? She's probably pretty unnerved by everything that's happened recently. I'll wait until morning to call her._

J J J J

Rukia wakes up in Ichigo's arms and lets her gaze travel over to his alarm clock. They've definitely missed school, and his father hasn't bothered them either. She can hardly believe it's almost eleven in the morning, she almost never sleeps that late. She snuggles back into Ichigo's arms, since he still hasn't stirred, and she closes her eyes.

She lays in his arms like that until she feels him start to stir. When he does, he sits up in surprised.

"How come dad hasn't come to annoy the hell out of me?" Ichigo asks even as he realizes the answer. "Rukia." Ichigo tightens his hold around her.

"Good morning, Ichigo." Rukia whispers. Ichigo smiles and lets go of her so that she can pull away and he can look at her. When he does, he's surprised. She has some sores on her face.

"Good morning, we need to go downstairs and have dad take a look at you." Ichigo says a bit nervously. Rukia gives him a questioning look but he gets out of bed and offers her his hand. Rukia takes it, and Ichigo leads her downstairs and then into the clinic. He finds his dad in his office and Isshin looks up when Ichigo and Rukia walk in.

"Finally awake?" Isshin says to Ichigo. He looks over at Rukia and his eyes widen. "It's as I suspected." Isshin says as he notices the sores on Rukia's face.

"What?" Rukia asks in confusion. Ichigo squeezes her hand, and Isshin stands up and approaches them.

"Rukia-chan, I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but I'm very certain you were knocked out last night due to chloroform." Isshin tells her in a serious voice. Rukia's eyes widen in surprise.

"That's why I started feeling dizzy, and my head started to hurt?" Rukia asks Isshin with a bit of nervousness in her voice. Isshin nods at her.

"The sores on your face are a classic side effect of skin coming into contact with chloroform." Isshin tells her quietly. Rukia puts her hands up to her face and her eyes widen in horror when she feels several bumps on her face.

"Gross!" Rukia shrieks before she yanks her hand out of Ichigo's and tears away from him, she takes off back in the direction they came in and she runs to the bathroom. Her eyes widen and her eyes well up with tears when she sees the sores on her face. "No wonder Ichigo wanted me to see his dad first thing when we woke up." Rukia mutters as she stares in disgust at the sores on her face.

Ichigo appears next to her, and he looks like he feels really bad as he sees the depressed look on her face.

"They'll go away, you know." Ichigo tells her quietly.

"They're still ugly!" Rukia mutters to him.

"Come here." Ichigo pulls her close and hugs her tight.

"Ichigo." Rukia's voice sounds like she's about to cry.

"You're still beautiful, it's not like there's anything wrong with you, at least you managed to defend yourself from your attacker even though he was trying to knock you out first." Ichigo tells her softly.

"I don't feel beautiful right now." Rukia is breathing deeply, trying to get control of her emotions.

"Well you are still beautiful. No matter what." Ichigo tells her in a firm voice.

"Really?" Rukia asks into his chest. Ichigo smiles.

"Look at me." Ichigo tells her. Rukia pulls back and gives him an insecure look. "Really." Ichigo assures her with a serious look as he's staring at her. He leans down and presses a soft kiss against her lips.

"Thank you…I love you, Ichigo." Rukia tells him with a soft smile on her lips.

"Come on." Ichigo pulls her out of the bathroom and upstairs to his bedroom. They sit down on the bed together.

"Thanks goodness I have you." Rukia tells him softly.

"I'm the lucky one." Ichigo tells her with a fixed look at her beautiful blue eyes. He hopes she believes him when he tells her she's beautiful no matter what.

He puts his arm around her and pulls her into his side. They sit there like that for a minute until Rukia speaks.

"I have to run home to change. Will you come with me?" Rukia asks Ichigo. He nods. He watches as she throws on her pink bunny pajama bottoms from the night before. She grabs the top up in one hand and then tosses it over her shoulder. She looks at him as she waits for him to answer her. Ichigo gives her a small smile before he does.

"Yeah, come on." Ichigo stands and he grabs her hand. Rukia still feels pretty self conscious about her sores, but she lets him pull her out of his room, down the hall, down the stairs, and out of his house. They hurry over to her house and Rukia feels embarrassed when Shoko pops out into the open before they can head upstairs. Her eyes widen at the sight of the sores on Rukia's face.

"I'll talk to you after I get a shower and get changed!" Rukia yelps as she hurries upstairs. Ichigo follows Rukia, but stops to greet Shoko.

"Good morning, we'll talk to you in a little while." Ichigo says before he runs after Rukia. He finds her in her room, and she's looking at her cell phone.

"Byakuya ni-sama left me a message." Rukia tells him softly before she hurries to listen to it. Ichigo watches as she bites her lip while listening to the brief message. She clicks end looks up at Ichigo.

"You should probably call him back since I had to leave him a message about what happened last night." Ichigo tells her as she stares at her phone. She lets out a sigh.

"You're right." Rukia tells him as she dials her brother's cell phone number. She looks nervous and when her brother answers, she's even more nervous. "Hello, Byakuya ni-sama." Rukia says, and Ichigo watches her face. "I'm okay, really." Rukia says next.

"Want me to give you some privacy?" Ichigo whispers, but Rukia shakes her head no. Ichigo watches as she walks over to her bed and sits down.

"Okay, I'm sitting now. What did you want to tell me?" Rukia asks next. Ichigo can't tear his eyes away from her as she speaks to her brother. He watches as her eyes widen and her mouth falls open in shock. She drops the phone onto the bed and looks completely shocked. Ichigo walks over and yanks up the phone off the bed and puts it to his ear.

"What in the hell did you just say to her?" Ichigo growls at her brother on the phone.

"I simply informed her of the name of her attacker last night." Byakuya replies easily.

"What was his name?" Ichigo asks suspiciously, since Rukia still hasn't recovered.

"Ichimaru Gin. That man is her father's half brother." Byakuya informs Ichigo, and his eyes widen as well.

"I don't believe it." Ichigo whispers into the phone. "The man from last night is the progenitor?" Ichigo asks, a bit stunned. "Rukia choked _him_ unconscious." Ichigo says in a bit of wonder.

"I know. The police from Karakura Town told me. He's still being interrogated in regards to that night over ten years ago." Byakuya informs Ichigo.

"He's finally captured? That means my sisters are safe!" Ichigo tells Byakuya with a note of relief in his voice. "Why was he still after Rukia though?" Ichigo asks Byakuya next.

"He told the cops that he still wanted to rape her." Byakuya informs Ichigo in a hard voice. Ichigo grips the phone in his hand.

"Too bad I didn't know who he was last night." Ichigo says angrily.

"I don't believe it." Rukia says in a soft voice. "I never thought he'd be captured, and I never thought he'd come after me on his own." She says next.

"Why did he come after her?" Ichigo asks Byakuya.

"The police think he had an obsession with her, since that's what he told them." Byakuya informs Ichigo.

"Does that mean the attempts on her are finally over?" Ichigo asks Byakuya next.

"I am going to keep the bodyguards in place for some time to be sure, but I believe it could be." Byakuya tells Ichigo. Rukia grabs the phone out of Ichigo's hands.

"He's the one who killed my mother? The man I confronted last night?" Rukia demands into the phone. Ichigo watches as tears start falling down her face. "I wish I had killed him." Rukia says softly to Ichigo and to her brother.

"He's experiencing hell now," Ichigo predicts as he imagines what kind of treatment the man is probably getting from the cops.

"Thank you for everything, ni-sama. I need to take a bath and let everything just sink in." Rukia tells him into the phone. Ichigo watches as Rukia pulls the phone away from her ear and looks up at him. He can't even look away, since tears are still streaming down her face.

"Rukia." Ichigo says it achingly and she can't stop crying.

"The man who killed my mom came after me again." Rukia says brokenly. "And I didn't kill him." Rukia says angrily. "Why didn't I just kill him?" She wonders out loud.

"You were drugged. It's probably better that you didn't kill him, since you didn't know who he was." Ichigo tells her, hoping she'll stop crying.

"I feel like I failed." Rukia tells him. Ichigo picks her up and holds her close.

"You didn't fail. You didn't get captured, which means you were successful." Ichigo tells her in a hard voice. "What would I do without you?" He asks her, causing Rukia to look up at him with hope.

"If I didn't have you, I'd probably begin to lose my mind." She tells him as she relishes the feeling of him holding her like she's his bride.

"I'm not going anywhere." Ichigo assures her.

"I thought he wouldn't be interested in me since I'm no longer a young child." Rukia tells Ichigo.

"Your brother told me that he developed an obsession with you." Ichigo tells her quietly.

"So he wanted to rape me? But to me that doesn't make a lot of sense. In my dream, Hinamori Momo told me the man who wanted to abduct me likes women who look young in the face but are developed in the body. That didn't exactly sound like my uncle considering he was after me when I was three." Rukia tells Ichigo.

"That was only a dream. What happened last night is reality." Ichigo tells her, not wanting to believe there's someone else out there who wants to take her away from him.

"I just don't know what to think." Rukia tells him honestly. She remembers how angry the girl had looked when she'd informed Rukia about the man who had tortured her until her death.

"I think we should probably always be on guard, but I'm looking forward to a bit of peace now that the asshole has been caught." Ichigo tells her as he walks her out of her room and into the bathroom. He gently sets her on her feet and he turns on the water to her tub.

"You are going to be the very best husband." Rukia tells him as he squats down and starts tugging her pajama bottoms down. He stands and takes the bottom of his tee-shirt that she's wearing and he pulls it up over her head. Rukia raises her arms as he pulls it off, and she doesn't feel uncomfortable being naked in front of him.

She walks over to the tub and sticks her hand into the running water before she slips in. Ichigo stands there and feels a bit guilty at the way he's feeling turned on as he watches her bathe. He hopes Shoko doesn't come upstairs and realize he's in the bathroom with her.

Rukia allows herself to completely relax in the warm water. With Ichigo in the room, she doesn't have to worry about a thing.

J J J J

"We want the names of the men who were assisting you that night." The officer tells Gin in a hard voice. He's angry that the prisoner hasn't shown any proper amount of fear since they discovered his true identity.

"It's been so long, who can remember insignificant details like that?" Gin asks the officer in a sarcastic tone.

"The statement of the older sister was that she was being chased by more than one man that night. We want your accomplices names!" The officer tells him in an angry voice.

"And I want to be out of this room fucking that little girl." Gin replies easily. "How does it feel to want?" Gin asks him with a grin.

"You shame your mother with your attitude." The officer tells him gravely.

"I'm sure you shame your mother too, with that high and mighty attitude of yours." Gin tells him as he looks at the officer, who's face reacts to Gin's comment. Gin smiles.

"I'm not a pedophile and rapist!" The officer tells him sternly. "My mother has no reason to feel shamed by me. You are truly scum." The officer finishes. Gin just chuckles.

"That hurts my feelings, officer." Gin says in a casual voice, which only makes the officer angrier.

"I don't even understand how you can think this is one big joke." The officer says, for lack of any better response.

"Hard for me to take you seriously when it took you over ten years to catch me." Gin tells the officer with a sneer. "That gave me over a decade to be able to satisfy my sexual desires." Gin says, earning him a punch in the face.

His eyes are already black and blue from their treatment of him through the night and his nose has been punched so hard that blood has run out of it several times. He knows each time he's been hit, he's struck some sort of nerve and he gets a bit of satisfaction out of that.

"Fuck you." The officer says with a sense of satisfaction.

"Hey officer?" Gin says as he feels more blood coming out of his nose.

"What?" The officer asks in a hard voice.

"Why don't you suck my fucking dick?" Gin asks as he lets a creepy smile show on his face. The officer hits him again. "That didn't hurt." Gin mocks him, even though it had hurt like hell.

J J J J

Ichigo watches as Rukia carefully applies make up to her face to cover up the sores. She's terribly self-conscious about them, even though Ichigo had made her feel a lot better.

She puts on a casual dress that is dark blue on the top and bottom, but light blue in the middle. Ichigo is surprised she did such a good job covering the sores on her face, even if she is wearing far more make-up than he's used to seeing her in. She typically looks very natural, but you can tell she's wearing make-up today.

When their friends show up at Ichigo's house after class to check on the couple, they're up in Ichigo's room cuddling, and they're very surprised when Tatsuki, Renji, and Sado all appear in the open doorway since they hadn't bothered to shut the door. Rukia and Ichigo sit up blushing at being caught cuddling like that.

"Did something happen? I know the police were here again, last night." Tatsuki tells them both.

"Are you okay?" Renji asks Rukia, noticing the increase in make-up.

"I brought your homework." Sado tells them next.

"We're fine." Ichigo tells them all. Rukia looks right at Tatsuki and Renji when she informs them of the news.

"The man that got arrested last night is the same man who killed my mother." Rukia tells them in s quiet voice.

"So that's why you didn't go to class." Tatsuki says with an understanding shake of her head.

"He's in police custody now, and apparently he admitted he has an obsession with her." Ichigo says, nodding his head towards Rukia.

"That's horrible!" Tatsuki says with a shake of her head. "What exactly happened?" Tatsuki asks. Rukia looks at her and decides not to share that she sneaks over to Ichigo's bed nightly.

"I had an uneasy feeling last night and I went out to investigate. He was there and we struggled." Rukia tells Tatsuki.

"So you're responsible for him being captured?" Tatsuki asks with a big grin.

"She is." Ichigo confirms, causing both Renji and Tatsuki to grin hugely at her.

"Nicely done, Kuchiki-san!" Tatsuki tells her with a grin.

"You're supposed to call me Rukia, now that we're good friends." Rukia tells Tatsuki.

"You did good, Rukia." Renji tells her with a smile. Rukia blushes a little bit.

"Actually, I got really lucky. He was attempting to use chloroform to drug me and abduct me without a struggle." Rukia explains to her friends. "At least that's what Ichigo's father thinks." She adds.

"Chloroform?" Tatsuki says in horror.

"When I was choking him, he was actually successful in drugging me, even though I managed to stay conscious long enough to choke him out of consciousness." Rukia tells them with a shiver.

"I ran outside in time to find both of them passed out." Ichigo tells them.

"Yeah, the struggle woke him up." Rukia explains as she gives Ichigo a sideways glance.

"My dad knew right away that something was wrong." Ichigo tells them.

"Of course, she's not the kind of girl who would wind up in that condition without a good reason," Tatsuki says with a nod of her head.

"I was worried when you didn't show up to school," Renji tells them both.

"Everyone was worried. We all knew the police had been in front of your houses." Tatsuki says to them.

"Great." Rukia mutters quietly.

"We're getting ready to head over to the gym, you guys interested?" Ichigo asks them.

Everyone looks relieved and happy to hear that the gym will still be available today.

"Yeah." Renji says first. Both Sado and Tatsuki nod their heads in agreement.

"Great, I'll call the car to take us all." Rukia tells them before she grabs her phone from her purse.

J J J J

Aizen feels very relieved that it seems Gin hasn't gone back on his word. The police haven't shown up at his door, nor has he received any strange calls. Kira hadn't been caught, and Aizen hasn't been fingered as the mastermind behind the plot to abduct Kuchiki Rukia.

He had his doubts about whether or not Gin would keep his word and take the heat for everything, but it appears that everything is going to go the way he had planned for it to go. He knows Gin really was grateful for the time that Aizen had given him, he would have certainly been apprehended years ago without Aizen's assistance.

He really appreciates the people like Gin, and his earlier subordinates who all were loyal enough to take their punishment without giving him up as the true source behind all of Kuchiki Rukia's troubles. Now all he has to do is sit tight for awhile. Let everything with Gin sink in with the girl, and leave her alone for awhile.

He knows it will be extremely difficult on him, all of this waiting, and he considers whether or not he should focus on a second prospective pet that he may be able to secure in the meantime, to keep him from going completely insane.

Aizen grabs his keys and his syringe and decides to go for a walk. He'll have to do some scoping around and try to keep his mind off of Rukia for the time being. It won't do him any good if he's so frustrated he can't keep up with his plan.

Besides, if he can find a second subject to keep in the chamber, he can practice keeping her alive, because he wants Kuchiki Rukia to experience a hundred times the pain and fear that his last pet suffered.

He also believes that Rukia will be more apt to be afraid if she realizes she's only one of his pets when she first arrives in his chamber. He's certain that she'll be just as terrorized if he's bringing fear to another young girl right in front of her. He smiles at that sadistic thought. _Maybe the pet will even die in front of her eyes._

He walks around as the sun is setting, and he sees a lot of people, but he doesn't see any girls that he'd want to take home. His plan is to drug a girl, drag her into some bushes, and then get his car to come collect her. But only if he finds a girl that captures his attention. He walks around for hours, unsuccessful in his search.

It's never as easy as he hopes it will be, plus he's never actually kidnapped a girl himself, he's always had it done for him. He rarely spots girls that he desires enough to want to capture them, which is why he's been going crazy over Kuchiki Rukia.

He keeps walking around however. He knows that if he's lucky enough to spot a suitable catch, the cover of the darkness will work well to his benefit in not being spotted.

He walks around until his legs start to hurt, before he finally turns back towards his own home. He can do this until he finds the right one. He's sure he can accomplish this, or at least pass some time by trying.


	38. Chapter 37: American Girl

Chapter 37

_American Girl_

A month passes by and a lot of things happen during the month. Gin is found guilty of murder, two counts of attempted kidnapping with an intent to defile a minor, conspiracy, and assault on a minor. He is sentenced to death by hanging.

The sores on Rukia's face had completely disappeared within three days but neither she nor Ichigo went back to school that week. They wanted to let the news blow over a bit before they went back. Plus Rukia was busy coming to terms with the fact that she had taken on her mother's killer and had come out of it alive.

Rukia only had one really disturbing dream this past month, and it of course involved Hinamori Momo. This time, the two were at a fast food restaurant, eating together as though they were friends. Rukia had given her a bright smile and had commented that it was great that she had evaded Gin's attempt to capture her, and Hinamori had only had one thing to say before Rukia woke up.

_A temporary set back, I assure you._

She had called Ichigo who had waited for her outside and she had fallen asleep in his bed that night. Since then though, she's been able to finally sleep through the night in her own bed lately, which she's been grateful for.

She and Ichigo have kept up their busy schedule with school and going to the gym besides the week where they didn't go to school, and Rukia has grown much closer to Tatsuki. She and Ichigo have grown much closer too, and he continuously proves to her just how much he loves her.

She had been really glad when she had heard that her psycho uncle would be receiving the death penalty, she had hugged Ichigo and cried in happiness that her mother's killer would finally be brought to justice. Ichigo had held her close, and he too was glad that the evil man who had been at the start of her troubles would finally pay.

"I wish Hisana had lived to see this day," Rukia had said tearfully to Ichigo, even though she was very happy that her uncle would be receiving the death penalty. They have no idea whether or not he'll appeal his punishment, but that doesn't matter to them. He's incarcerated now, and incapable of abducting her anymore.

Aizen had emailed her to tell her that he could locate nothing significant that would explain why she had dreamed of a dead girl, and Rukia had thanked him for looking into it. She tried not to think too much about the disturbing dreams that Hinamori Momo had appeared in, since they always make her feel uneasy.

The bodyguards are still around, although they don't really seem quite so necessary anymore, at least in Rukia's eyes. Ichigo seemed to have a different view of that, he was constantly telling her that it was better to be safe, than to be sorry. Rukia had conceded that he was correct about that, especially when she remembers her last dream with Hinamori Momo.

_A temporary set back, I assure you._

Those words really haunt Rukia. It was as if it was an ominous warning not to get too cozy and not to be so stupid that she lets her guard down. Rukia hates it when she remembers that moment, because Hinamori Momo had sounded so sure of herself when she'd said it.

J J J J

Aizen could hardly believe it when he found a suitable target. He had Kira keep an eye on the girl, and when he found out that she liked to take evening walks, he waited for her in a spot that he could grab her up on her normal route, and hide her until he could spirit her away to the underground chamber.

She wasn't as riveting as Rukia, but she was definitely attractive enough to hold his attention. He felt like he had hit the lottery or something when he'd first gotten a look at her. She was totally different from his other victims, but similar in the way she looked young with noticeable curves.

She was an American girl that had traveled to Japan as an exchange student. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and she had an impressive bust, even though she looked very young in the face.

Why she was even allowed to take evening walks was beyond him, but he knew there could be no way for him to be connected to the girl. He had seen her when she was approaching where he was waiting for her in some bushes, and he had quickly taken off the plastic protective covering of the syringe.

He could hear her footsteps as she drew closer, and when she was close enough for him to reach out and grab her, to pull her behind the few bushes that had hidden his presence. The girl had gasped in surprise, not screamed, which was a relief to Aizen, but he injected her before she could even gather what was going on. He hid her in the bushes with a blanket over her body and he hurried home to get his car.

Everything had gone smoothly, he had cuffed her to some metal hooks he had drilled into the wall and he had used scissors to cut off her clothing. He had smiled when he was able to step back and get a good look at her naked body.

"Finally, someone to keep me occupied." Aizen had muttered as he had stared long and hard at the girl, who still hasn't awoken from his injection. He takes this opportunity to start to familiarizing himself with her body, and he's pleased by the softness of her skin. Her nipples are a very light pink color and he smiles when they harden due to the coldness of the room. She'll be perfect to divert his attentions from Kuchiki Rukia when the situation calls for it.

He ended up having to wait several hours before she groggily opened her eyes. Aizen was sitting on the bed, waiting for this moment, and his heart thumps in anticipation as she realizes she's on the floor, cuffed to the wall.

"I have to save the bed for my next pet. You will remain there, at least for the time being." Aizen had told her before he went into his favorite speech.

"What?" The girl had responded in English and Aizen had given her a grin while he kept speaking in Japanese.

"You will start a new life, beginning today. From now on, you will live only to serve my desires. Whatever life you used to have, let it go. It will never be yours again." Aizen had told her heartlessly. The girl had looked up at him with wide eyed fear. "You're beautiful." Aizen tells her as he stands up and walks over to her. He straddles her and he undoes his pants right in front of her face.

"Stop!" The girl says as she watches him fearfully.

"Now open up." Aizen tells her in English as he points at her mouth. The girl had shook her head no, and Aizen had leaned forward and put one hand around her neck, and he applied pressure until her eyes started popping out of her head. "Do you want me to go get tools that will help you learn your place?" Aizen had asked before she had finally acquiesced and opened her mouth.

That had been a full week ago, and Aizen feels much better. He had gotten his hands on some Viagra and he had spent hours having violent sex with her.

He withheld food from her for the first two days as well, while he taught her what words were supposed to be coming out of her mouth on a regular basis. It was very similar to his last pet's induction into the chamber.

For him, this had been a wonderful change of pace, and the girl was properly terrified of him.

Aizen had found it very humorous that there was no mention of her abduction in the news at all. The fact that she wasn't from Japan had worked well to his benefit, and he had taunted the girl too.

_If you didn't want to belong to me, what were you doing walking around alone at night?_

He remembered how she had actually given him a hateful look at that comment. He had kicked her in the side for that defiance.

He didn't bother asking her name, since he didn't care one way or the other who she actually was. He took advantage of her presence in his chamber and he used her body so many times in the past week.

He had taken videos of her being demoralized for later viewing, and so that he could show Rukia what would be expected of her when he finally gets her in here too. He imagines how fearful they'll be when he's got them both in here.

He really likes the way this girl cries. Her blue eyes turn lighter when she cries, and she always seems very scared whenever he enters the room.

When he had finally brought a bit of food for her to eat, she had given him a strange look, since she thought she wouldn't last very long and would certainly die quickly in her situation. Aizen wanted to be sure that it didn't happen like that.

Now whenever he has thoughts about Rukia, he immediately quells them with his new pet. He experiments different methods of pain so that he'll have everything perfect for when his real target arrives.

Aizen smiles as he remembers the past few days. He had even called off sick for work a couple of days so that he could have the day with his blonde pet.

It made him feel powerful, smart, and cocky again. It makes him feel good to know that once again he has gotten away with taking yet another young woman to satisfy his sexual needs.

He frowns when he remembers how he accidentally killed her but was able to revive her. She had been even more scared of him after that incident, and it had worked well to his benefit since he couldn't get enough of the look of fear on the young woman's face.

He decides he wants to see more of it now, and so he takes off his clothes before he goes to see his naked and waiting captive.

J J J J

"Have you had any dreams of that girl lately?" Ichigo asks Rukia as they sit together alone in the whirlpool for several minutes as they wait for Renji and Tatsuki to join them.

"No, thankfully. She always scares the hell out of me." Rukia tells him as she lays her head on his shoulder.

"They were some scary dreams from the way you described them to me." Ichigo tells her in a low voice.

"I'm glad to have a break from them though," Rukia tells him as she enjoys the relaxing feeling of the whirlpool.

"Me too." Ichigo says. They both take deep breaths and let the relaxation wash over their bodies. A few minutes later, Tatsuki and Renji join them in the tub.

"It finally seems like things have calmed down around this town." Tatsuki tells them as she settles on a seat. Renji sits next to her.

"I can't complain," Rukia tells her, grinning at her.

"She's experienced enough excitement for a lifetime." Ichigo tells Tatsuki and Renji, who both chuckle.

"She's experienced quite a bit, that's for sure," Tatsuki says, giving Rukia a sympathetic look.

"Don't feel sorry for me, I'm just fine. There are other girls out there who get targeted and they come out of it as safely as I did." Rukia tells them as she remembers the countless websites of missing girls.

"You're right about that," Tatsuki tells her with a nod.

"I'm just glad you're okay after your encounter with chloroform and your uncle," Renji tells Rukia who nods her agreement.

"I'm glad that he'll hang." Rukia says softly. Everyone in the tub nods.

"The whole world will be better off with him dead." Tatsuki agrees.

"Scumbags like him all deserve to die." Ichigo says in a hard voice. "He's a cold blooded killer." Ichigo adds.

"At least my mother is finally getting some justice." Rukia says. It's something that she says often to herself, and to Ichigo.

"That must make you feel better, at least." Tatsuki says as she feels sorry for Rukia's mother who had to die at the hands of Rukia's uncle.

"It does." Rukia assures her.

"Well things should be a lot easier on the two of you now," Renji says to them. Ichigo nods.

"We're both feeling a lot better with that jerk behind bars." Ichigo tells him.

They stay in the hot tub for a little while until Rukia and Tatsuki head to the ladies dressing room.

"Is something bothering you? I've been wondering about it for awhile, but you seem very distracted, lately." Tatsuki tells her with a concerned look.

"I would hate to bother you with anything," Rukia tells her softly. Tatsuki gives her a stern look.

"We're friends, remember? You can talk to me about anything that is bothering you. I want to help." Tatsuki tells her as she takes off her swimsuit.

"The truth is, that right before my uncle was captured, I had some very disturbing dreams. I also had another one after he was captured." Rukia tells her hesitantly.

"What kind of dreams?" Tatsuki asks with interest as she steps into the shower stall next to the one Rukia is pulling off her swimsuit in front of.

Rukia finds it easier to talk as they shower when she doesn't have to meet her friend's eyes.

"I dreamed of a girl getting raped, and when I did a search on the internet, I found out she really exists. In my dream though, she told me she was dead." Rukia tells Tatsuki as she steps into her own shower.

"Wow, you dreamed about a real live girl? That sounds like you're psychic." Tatsuki says in surprise.

"They were really disturbing dreams, it was a lot worse than just rape, it was total degradation, total humiliation, total terror and complete pain. It was a terrorizing few dreams. It was even more eerie that the girl actually exists. She's listed as a missing person." Rukia tells Tatsuki.

"What is her name?" Tatsuki asks as she soaps up her body.

"Her name is Hinamori Momo. She disappeared in Tokyo. The most scary part of all was that she informed me that I was next." Rukia says with a bit of emotion in her voice.

"Wow, that's deep. I can hardly believe you experienced something like that." Tatsuki says, impressed at Rukia's inner strength.

"Believe me, I'd be a wreck if I didn't have Ichigo." Rukia tells her as she puts shampoo in her hair.

"I'm glad you prevailed when your uncle attacked you." Tatsuki tells her friend as she rinses off her body.

"She said something else disturbing too." Rukia tells Tatsuki as she lathers and rinses her hair.

"What?" Tatsuki asks as she reaches out and grabs the towel on the hook. Rukia puts conditioner into her hair and sighs.

"She told me that the man who arranged for her abduction liked girls who looked young in the face but were developed in the body," Rukia explains quietly, wondering if Tatsuki will make the same connection that Rukia did. She rinses out the conditioner as she waits for Tatsuki's response.

"Are you shitting me?" Tatsuki finally breathes as she waits for Rukia to step out of the stall. Rukia finishes with the conditioner and quickly lathers her body with soap.

"Do you understand the implications of that?" Rukia asks as she scrubs herself.

"Maybe…explain it anyways." Tatsuki says with dread filling her stomach.

"My uncle is the type of pedophile that likes young children who have yet to develop." Rukia tells her as she rinses off.

"Ichigo saved you from a pedophile then, not just a killer?" Tatsuki says in shock. Rukia realizes this is the first time she's admitted the truth to Tatsuki. She steps out and grabs her towel, wrapping it around herself before she answers Tatsuki.

"Yeah. He wanted to abduct me because he was a pedophile." Rukia finally says straight out to her friend. Tatsuki looks at her in horror.

"I had no idea it was as bad as that." Tatsuki whispers in a voice filled with pity.

"The fact is that my uncle's interest is children, not young women who are developed." Rukia tells her, being straightforward again. She pulls a second towel out and wraps her hair in it before she walks over to where her clothes are hanging.

"It's a good thing that Ichigo saved you when he did…wait." Tatsuki says as Rukia's words sink in. "So you're saying your uncle isn't the one that the girl in your dreams was warning you about?" Tatsuki asks Rukia slowly.

"Bingo. Because after my uncle's attack, she visited one more dream." Rukia says in a foreboding voice.

"What did that dream entail?" Tatsuki asks Rukia as she pulls out her clothes and starts to dress.

"It was definitely weird. We were eating fast food, and she only had to say one thing to me. She told me it was only a temporary setback that I hadn't been captured before I woke up." Rukia explains, and Tatsuki shudders as she pulls her shirt on.

"That's one creepy dream. No wonder you've looked unsettled lately. Do you really think there will be more trouble?" Tatsuki asks her with a curious glance.

"I don't know what to think. It was really creepy." Rukia tells her friend.

"No kidding, you have me shaking like a leaf, just from what you've recounted." Tatsuki says giving Rukia a wide eyed look of disbelief.

"Please Tatsuki, don't tell anybody." Rukia says as she pleads her friend with her eyes.

"Relax, I wouldn't ever tell anybody about what we talked about. Not even Ichigo or Renji." Tatsuki assures her.

"Ichigo already knows, but I'd still rather you didn't talk about it with anybody other than myself." Rukia tells her. Tatsuki nods her head.

"Don't worry, I understand." Tatsuki tells her, knowing Rukia's a fairly private person. She's really glad that her friend finally opened up to her a bit.

"What do you think of it all?" Rukia asks her as she starts to dress.

"I think it's practically unbelievable. To think you had those kinds of dreams, and that one unbelievably creepy dream afterwards." Tatsuki tells her friend. "If I were you, I wouldn't let down my guard. I would believe the girl." Tatsuki finally admits. Rukia nods.

"I feel the same way." Rukia tells her as she pulls on her shirt.

"You have a good gut instinct, you should really just follow it," Tatsuki advises as she waits for Rukia to finish dressing.

"I feel better after talking with you about it, thanks." Rukia tells her friend. She picks up her bag and Tatsuki does the same. They head out of the dressing room together and find Renji and Ichigo drinking water while waiting for them.

"Girls take forever." Renji says as he's glad Tatsuki finally came out.

"You're not kidding," Ichigo agrees as he smiles for Rukia.

"Shut up, we had to shower and get dressed." Rukia tells Ichigo with a grin.

"Come on, you want to go to an arcade?" Ichigo asks her as they shut off the main lights.

"Sure." Rukia says with a grin.

J J J J

"You want to know something pleasant?" Aizen says to his captive, who won't meet his eyes. She's shaking furiously and Aizen greatly enjoys the sight of it. He sighs when she doesn't answer him, but it doesn't anger him. "I plan on getting you a roommate to stay in here. That's why I haven't restrained you to the bed. It's reserved for her. I've had my eye on her since before I even caught sight of you." Aizen informs her.

The girl's eyes widen. So he wants to have more than one girl as a captive in his hidden room, somehow she isn't all that surprised. He's completely sadistic, using such a calm and comforting voice right before he inflicts pain on her.

"I hope you fail." She tells him in English, despite her fear. She can't help saying at least that to him, after all of the times he's taunted and humiliated her in their short amount of time together. It already feels like it's been a year.

"That wasn't very nice. Why don't I show you a picture of her? She's far more beautiful than you are." Aizen tells her with a grin. She doesn't look at him. "I can't wait until the day I can walk in here and find both of you completely naked and at my whims." Aizen says before he stands up off of the bed and grabs a piece of sandpaper.

"Sick," The girl breathes quietly, since she's not looking at him. She wishes with all of her heart that she was back home in America rather than at this insane man's mercy, which is little to none at all. It appears it's not his motive to kill her, even though she slowly feels herself losing the will to live.

"Now for your punishment for talking back in a rude way." Aizen says before he starts for her.

J J J J

Rukia turns in her sleep. It's Hinamori again. She's sitting in a rocking chair in a black kimono when Rukia first spots her, and she appears to be crying with a vengeance. They appear to be in someone's home, though it's not her own.

"I was wrong, there was an unexpected development. You're on the list, but you weren't next. He came up with a new and more twisted plan than before." Hinamori Momo tells Rukia.

Rukia shudders at those ominous words. She doesn't want to believe what the girl just implied was the case.

"You're saying he took someone else?" Rukia asks Hinamori with dread.

"See for yourself." Hinamori stands and walks Rukia through the hallway of the house and down some stairs. They walk together through a wall and Rukia finds herself in the familiar chamber where she has seen Hinamori Momo on more than one occasion.

Rukia doesn't see anybody on the bed as she had expected to, nor does she see the headless man. Hinamori walks into the room further and around the bed and gazes down at the floor. Rukia follows her and looks at where Hinamori is looking. Rukia's hand comes up to her mouth in horror.

There, cuffed to the wall, on the floor is a very young looking girl, who appears to be European or American by the looks of her. She has long blonde hair, and it's a bit dirty at the moment. She has dried tear marks on her face, and her eyes are closed as though she's sleeping. She's completely naked, and there are some bruises on her body.

"How horrible…it's unthinkable!" Rukia says angrily to Hinamori Momo.

"He intends to try and keep her alive so that he can have two captives at the same time." Hinamori says in an angry voice, barely above a whisper.

"You mean he wants me in here with her?" Rukia asks in mortification as she stares at Hinamori Momo.

"You got it in one guess this time." The girl responds with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Who is she?" Rukia asks her.

"He hasn't asked her what her name is, and I haven't heard her say what it is, so I don't know." Hinamori replies.

"How long has he had her?" Rukia asks her next. Hinamori clenches her fists and glares at Rukia.

"Just over a week now. He gave her the same speech he gave me. He told her she would live out the rest of her life serving his desires." Hinamori explains to Rukia.

"What is his name?" Rukia asks Hinamori, who isn't facing her. Rukia can tell that she answers, but Rukia cannot hear the name.

"I can't hear you." Rukia tells her softly.

"I'm being blocked from giving you that information." Hinamori says with a sigh.

"Blocked?" Rukia asks her nervously.

"It's him. He so strongly wishes to remain hidden from you that I am unable to convey that information to you. I've said his name several times in front of you, and you have never heard it." Hinamori says with an irritated look.

"He can do that?" Rukia asks nervously.

"He is the only link between you and I. It seems the control he exerted over me when I was alive remains at least a little bit. I wonder if I can write it down." Hinamori says next. She walks out of the room and appears with a pen and paper and writes Professor Aizen Sousuke down on a piece of paper and then shows it to Rukia.

Rukia stares in confusion, because she saw the pen moving, yet the paper is blank when she looks at it.

"I can't see it." Rukia tells her with a shake of her head.

"Damn. I'm worried about her. He was really vicious today. When he told her he hoped to get her a roommate, meaning you, he tortured her for a full hour. Her screams were so bad I felt it necessary to see you again." Hinamori informs Rukia, who looks down in horror at the girl.

"Can I do anything to help her?" Rukia asks nervously. Momo just looks disconcerted for a moment before she responds to Rukia's question.

"I don't know. It may be possible." Hinamori says with a bit of hesitation. "Although I don't see how you can help her when you don't even know who he is." She finishes with an angry shake of her head. Rukia looks down at the obviously helpless girl.

"I'd like to try." Rukia tells her softly.

"I only see one viable way for you to help her, and that's to make sure he doesn't catch you when he comes for you. Then you need to lie to the police and tell them that he informed you he had another girl at his house so that they go to rescue her immediately." Hinamori finally says as she looks at Rukia.

"I can do it." Rukia says with a soft voice that is very confident.

"Are you sure about that?" Hinamori asks her doubtfully.

"I'm not like other girls." Rukia tells her with a firm voice.

"It's not like he'll play by the rules to care about that though," Hinamori says with a sigh at the girl's ability to be so very naïve.

"I won't let him keep up his evil ways. He's a blight on humanity." Rukia says with even more conviction.

"I would love nothing more than for that to happen. I just don't know if you're capable of it." Hinamori says as she looks Rukia up and down.

"Don't judge me by my size." Rukia says defensively.

"He knows all about you though. He knows you have the ability to defend yourself. That's why he'll probably do something completely different from what he did with me or her to abduct you." Hinamori say as she lets her gaze travel to the blonde haired girl again.

"This room is like death." The girl moans as her eyes open. She doesn't appear to see them. "I want to go home!" The girl sobs softly. Rukia can tell immediately that she's American from her accent.

"She's losing her mind." Hinamori says softly, with a look of understanding and compassion towards the girl.

"She looks terrorized," Rukia says with a hint of anger. "For what he did to you, and for what he's done to her, I swear to make him pay." Rukia promises Hinamori.

"You sure are a strange human. Don't you have any sense of fear? This is no normal man we're discussing here, he is truly sick in the head." Hinamori says as she looks Rukia square in the eyes.

"I don't care what he is, I'll take him down for sure." Rukia says in a low voice.

"I'm not convinced." Hinamori says with a yawn. She looks back at the girl. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry I couldn't help you." Hinamori says in a voice that aches with despair.

"You don't know that she won't be saved though," Rukia argues. Hinamori gives her a quick look.

"Do you really believe she could ever have a normal life again after what she's endured at the hands of that monster? Do you think she could live a day in her life without looking over her shoulder in fear, do you think she would ever feel safe when she's outside again? Do you think she could ever find the ability to trust again?" Hinamori asks in a broken voice.

"There's no guarantee that she couldn't overcome this. She could even become stronger, and be an advocate for women who have experienced similar trauma. You can't automatically relegate her to having a miserable existence, there are many people who go through atrocious things and are stronger, not broken after the fact." Rukia argues.

"There are just as many people who never get over such treatment." Hinamori points out to a shaking Rukia. "They wind up fucked up for life." She adds with a nod.

"It could go either way. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to save her." Rukia says in a pleading voice to Hinamori Momo.

"Except that he's biding his time, and drowning his impatience in that girl until he comes for you. Even I'm not sure when that will actually be. He's coming up with a really horrible plan to ensure he gets you the next time." Hinamori says sadly.

"I won't let down my guard, I won't let it down for an instant." Rukia tells her quietly.

"I'm not so sure that's possible. No matter who you are, you have a moment of vulnerability. He will exploit that to the fullest." Hinamori says with a sad sense of finality.

"Thanks for the vote in confidence." Rukia mutters with annoyance as she looks down at the girl whose eyes are open. She's looking around the room and she looks so defeated when she yanks on the cuffs that bind her to the wall but they don't budge.

"What a fucking lunatic," The girl says in a broken voice.

"I hate him so much." Hinamori says as her eyes glow red. Rukia is taken by surprise at the sudden show of it.

"You're not the only one, you know." Rukia tells her softly. Hinamori meets Rukia's gaze.

"I'm counting on you, to stop the madness." Hinamori says before Rukia wakes up breathing deeply.

She fumbles for her phone and calls Ichigo. It's been awhile since she's felt like this. He answers and agrees to meet her outside. Rukia hurries downstairs and waits for the bodyguard to pass by before she hurries over to Ichigo's house. He's out there watching for her, and he hurries her into the house and up the stairs.

They go into his room and he quietly closes the door. She sits on the bed and stares at him as he walks over to her.

"What was the dream this time," he asks her without a hint of sleepiness in his voice. He's too concerned about her to feel tired at the moment.

"She appeared again. She showed me that he captured another girl while he waits for the right moment to come after me." Rukia tells Ichigo and he sits and wraps his arms around her. He doesn't know what to think.

"I'm always going to protect you, no matter what." Ichigo finally decides to say.

"I know…but he got another girl!" Rukia says with tears.

"Have you found out who he even is?" Ichigo asks her curiously.

"No, even though she's tried to tell me, I could never hear the name." Rukia tells Ichigo.

He pulls her close into his arms and he holds her close. They finally lay down and fall asleep.


	39. Chapter 38: Christmas

Chapter 38

_Christmas_

When Christmas is around the corner, Ichigo makes an agreement with his father for a loan, to pay him back when he's older. Isshin agrees to give Ichigo a loan, to go buy Rukia a real engagement ring, which he plans to give to her on Christmas Day.

He figures it's the most romantic day to do it, and when Isshin offers to help him shop around, he accepts his offer to help find a ring for Rukia, which is difficult since Rukia's always around. Ichigo ends up enlisting the help of Tatsuki to have a couple of hours to shop with his dad.

His dad had arrived home with mistletoe and Ichigo had smiled at the memories from the videos that flashed through his head, when he and Rukia were children, he caught her under the mistletoe back then.

It's been a few months since Rukia's uncle was captured, and things have been amazingly peaceful besides Rukia's nightmares, which still occur about once every two to three weeks. She keeps having dreams about the girl Hinamori Momo and also about an American woman who was apparently captured by the man, even though they hadn't found her picture on any Japanese websites. It's like people haven't even noticed the foreign woman missing, a chilling thought for Rukia who is used to traveling and used to being the foreigner.

Rukia finally started hunting on some websites in English and she finally found out the name of the girl who had been taken. Her name was Tara Sable. She is seventeen years old, and an American exchange student. Another real missing girl has shown up in her dreams, and it was enough to scare the shit out of Ichigo.

"You make sure you call me if you even feel the least bit suspicious or uneasy about something." Ichigo had told her when she had shown him the girl's picture on the website.

She had promised him that she would. Ichigo has been thinking a lot about her dreams which seem to be accurate about at least two things, the identities of the missing girls. That was enough to make chills run down anyone's spine.

His sister Yuzu has been hanging out more often outside of the house, and Rukia has enjoyed how the Kurosaki family tends to order out a bit more often now that Yuzu's social life seems to have picked up. She's been hanging out a lot with Jinta even though nobody in her family, not even her twin knows that.

Ichigo feels nervous as he and his father enter a jewelry store. He wants to get Rukia a really nice ring. The shopkeeper looks up in surprise to see a kid as young as Ichigo walking in and looking like a nervous guy who's about to propose. Isshin smiles at the man.

"My son here is looking for an engagement ring." Isshin tells the man with a jovial smile. The man's eyes bulge at that. He can hardly believe such a young kid wants to propose, especially since the marriage rate in Japan has been declining. He wonders if they are getting married due to an unintended pregnancy.

"I have a magnificent selection for you to choose from, some of the best quality diamonds around," the man says after a moment. A sale is a sale, after all.

"Show us what you have." Isshin says with a grin.

"Do you have a preference?" The man asks. Ichigo thinks for a moment.

"I want it to be a really unique ring with a high quality diamond. I will also want the inside of the band to be engraved. I would prefer it to be white gold" Ichigo tells the man.

"Rukia-chan is a very unique girl who deserves a unique ring," Isshin agrees with a big smile. He's in a really good mood to be out with Ichigo shopping. He's hardly spent any quality time with his son lately.

"I think I might have the perfect ring." The man says as he disappears in the back for a moment. Ichigo gives his father a hopeful look.

"White gold will match all of her other jewelry better," Ichigo explains to his dad. Ichigo doesn't admit that he thinks silver suits her better than any other color, he might start sounding like a girl.

"Silver definitely suits her," Isshin agrees.

They wait patiently for the man to reappear, and when he does, he brings a ring that Ichigo can't tear his eyes away from. It's _perfect_ for Rukia. The diamond is clearly beautiful and clear, and the band is the perfect color. What really makes it perfect though are the two tiny sapphires on either side of the diamond. They remind him of her eyes.

"How much?" Isshin asks when he sees Ichigo's expression.

Ichigo isn't even listening anymore, he can picture this ring on Rukia's finger.

"Three hundred sixteen thousand, five hundred and sixty yen." The man answers, causing Isshin's eyes to pop out of his head, since it's a lot of money. Ichigo is giving his father a desperate look.

"I'll pay you back." Ichigo promises his dad. "One way or the other I'll make enough money to pay you back." He says as he stares at the ring that looks like it was made for Rukia. Isshin remembers he had a similar reaction to the combs that Ichigo had wanted to get for her so long ago and he feels himself sighing in defeat.

"We'll buy it, on payments of course." Isshin tells him.

'I can give you five thousand yen when we get home, I have that much saved." Ichigo tells his father, who nods.

"It's worth it to make Rukia-chan smile." Isshin tells him with a grin. Ichigo smiles back. He agrees completely with that sentiment.

"I hope she loves it." Ichigo tells his father with a hopeful look as the man gets out the financial paperwork for Isshin to sign.

"You know she will." Isshin tells Ichigo before he focuses on filling out the paperwork.

Ichigo sits and tries to figure out the perfect way to propose to Rukia. His father is right, he's sure Rukia will love the ring, but how to give it to her is the problem now. He knows he'll take her to see the Karakura Town Christmas Tree in the center of town, but he doesn't want to propose there, it's not private enough.

He ponders it for a long while until he figures out a plan that makes him happy. He decides that he'll take her for a walk after they go and see the Christmas Tree, and he'll take her to the riverbank near where his mother died. He'll keep a piece of mistletoe in his pocket, and that's how he'll get things started. He grins when he think of how much his Mom would like to see him proposing to Rukia, the only girl in the world that is right for him.

"You sure look deep in thought, Ichigo." Isshin says with a grin. "You're thinking of how you'll propose, aren't you?" Isshin asks Ichigo with a wink. Ichigo smiles.

"What else would I be thinking about when we're making this purchase?" Ichigo asks him.

"What about kids?" Isshin asks Ichigo.

"Maybe we'll have nine or ten," Ichigo says without thinking. His father claps him hard on the back and lets out a loud amused chuckle.

"Good luck getting her to agree to that! Your mother put her foot down after your sisters were born. You don't even want to know what kind of awful experience labor was for her, she screamed and swore at me. I have a feeling that if you see Rukia-chan go through it once, you won't want her to have to endure that kind of pain a second time." Isshin tells him.

"You had no problems with getting Mom to agree to get pregnant again. In the videos you two looked so happy." Ichigo points out logically.

"It was three and a half years after you were born that Masaki all of a sudden really wanted to start trying again. I really enjoyed raising you, and I couldn't say no to her. I would give her anything in the world that she asked for. So I supported her fully when she said she wanted to get pregnant again." Isshin says with a grin.

"See? A lot of women give birth to more than one child." Ichigo tells his father.

"Not a lot give birth to nine or ten though," Isshin says with exasperation. Ichigo blushes.

"Maybe I got carried away a little…" Ichigo mutters, embarrassed that he had automatically stated such a huge number. It's just that he wants to raise a big family with her.

"Maybe just a little," Isshin agrees with another laugh.

He can tell by the look in his son's eye that he really does want to have a lot of kids. He knows Rukia adores his son more than anything, and if Ichigo tells her he wants to have that many, she'll probably do her best to grant his wish. She seems to be like that in regards to Ichigo. Of course, if it were the other way around, he's sure his son would do the same for her.

Ichigo requests that the ring be engraved with _Ichigo & Rukia Forever_. He's told he can pick up the ring in three days. He looks at his dad.

"It will be hard to get away from her again…can you come pick up the ring for me?" Ichigo asks him. Isshin smiles and nods his head yes.

"It will be my pleasure to help out. I can't wait to see Rukia-chan wearing it!" Isshin says with huge smile. Ichigo can't help but to smile back at his cheerful father.

"Neither can I," Ichigo admits softly. Isshin grins at him.

"Congratulations, I'm happy that she'll finally have a ring to go with the proposal." Isshin tells him.

"Thanks," Ichigo says with a blush, not bothering to mention the toe ring that he gave to Rukia at their Miai.

"Your mother would be very proud of you." Isshin tells him softly. Ichigo thinks his father is probably right.

"I still can't believe she was taken away from us in an instant," Ichigo says in a pained voice. "That's why I'm going to take Rukia to the riverbank to propose. If Mom is watching, I think she'd really like that." Ichigo tells his father with a serious look.

"Rukia-chan doesn't even know how Masaki died, does she?" Isshin asks his son curiously. He knows his son has never liked talking about Masaki's death, and he had been certain that Ichigo hadn't much discussed her death with Rukia. Ichigo gives him a surprised look.

"Come to think of it, I never did tell her the specifics." Ichigo says, realizing he probably should have already shared that with her.

"You can always tell her after you give her the ring, why you chose that spot to do it," Isshin suggests, causing Ichigo to nod slowly with a grin.

"You're right. I should tell her, she deserves to know anyways." Ichigo says a bit sullenly. For him it's like a nightmare that his mother died to protect him. It's always made him feel a bit like he's partly to blame for her death. She had three choices. She could have saved neither of them, she could have saved herself, or she could have saved her son. She of course chose to save her son.

"It's not your fault." Isshin says, looking at his son in concern.

"That doesn't stop me from feeling like I'm to blame, even if it's only a small amount of blame." Ichigo says in a low voice. Rukia is probably the only one who can understand so completely what it's like to have your mother die to protect you.

_Even though it's not my fault directly, it feels like it is indirectly since she died to protect me._

J J J J

Rukia adores being caught by Ichigo under the mistletoe, and Yuzu always laughs whenever she sees her brother grabbing up Rukia for a kiss. Karin tries not to look in the direction of the mistletoe since it's easier than bitching about it. Not like they ever listen to her anyways. Even though the kissing noises really annoy the hell out of her, she manages not to complain, though she does an awful lot of scowling.

Rukia makes plans to go Christmas shopping with Tatsuki, Inoue, and Michiru. Michiru had recently hooked up with Sado, somehow, and nobody knew the exact details of that story, but it sounded like a fun group outing. Inoue and Ishida weren't going out, but she remembered how he protected her at the party and removed a man's eyeball for trying to hurt her, and when she had told Tatsuki that she wanted to get Ishida a gift, she had immediately included her in the plans.

Ichigo smiles at her when she tells him she's going Christmas shopping with the girls. He has the ring back, finally, and he has it hidden in his room. He doesn't keep it out for fear she'll pop in before he's ready for her to see it.

When the girls go out, Tatsuki ends up buying Renji a cologne that she really likes. Inoue buys Ishida a very expensive sewing kit with all kinds of fabric and needles to go with it. Michiru ends up buying Sado a few guitar picks, some replacement strings, and some different guitar straps for him to use. Rukia has a harder time than any of them.

Ichigo has done so much for her in her lifetime, and he's the sole reason she's as happy as she is, and she wants a gift that reflects that feeling, which is why she ends up having such a difficult time. Money is of no consequence to her, and he's too young for her to buy him his own car, nor can she really picture him wearing any jewelry, besides a wedding band.

The other girls seem kind of stumped too, since they all know that he has saved Rukia before, and they know how much they love one another. Ichigo and Rukia's relationship is far more serious than any of theirs. His bedroom is fairly small, and even though Rukia would love to get him a huge and expensive entertainment center, she doesn't know where he would be able to keep it.

She finally decides to get him a top of the line laptop, and she decides she'll give him the password to her network. It ends up costing her quite a bit to have all of the extra available features added, but she thinks he's worth it.

When the girls finally finish shopping, they all feel happy and relieved that they have their presents together, and several of the girls wonder with each other what they think the guys will get them. Rukia has no clue what Ichigo's planning, and she doesn't really care, since all she wants for Christmas is to be with him.

J J J J

Rukia is quite frustrated in her dream when Hinamori Momo appears yet again. Once again they're looking at Tara, and she's still alive, though she appears to have lost some weight. She has a black eye, which pisses Rukia off, and she's chanting mindlessly, incoherent words that don't make sense in either English or Japanese.

"I don't know how much longer she can last, and I don't know how much longer you have until he comes for you. She's in bad condition. She will probably never be able to recover from her treatment here. It's been getting worse since you last saw her. He's been…experimenting." Hinamori says in an angry voice.

"I don't like the sound of that." Rukia says in a whisper.

"I don't suppose you would. You've been letting your guard down lately, haven't you?" Hinamori accuses Rukia.

"I have not!" Rukia protests strongly.

"He brought someone else in to rape her." Hinamori says sadly.

"He did what?" Rukia asks in horror.

"A blind man." Hinamori tells Rukia. "She was bleeding when he finished with her. _He_ was in her mouth at the same time that the black man was raping her. She was mortified. Her screaming was unbearable." Hinamori whispers.

"Fucking bastard." Rukia hisses. "He deserves to die…painfully." Rukia says as she looks at the girl with her heart going out to her.

"I'm afraid they may have hurt her internally, from the way she bled after the fact." Hinamori says in a small voice. "I'm pretty sure she'll never be able to have children." Hinamori says in a choked voice. Rukia and Hinamori look at the girl. Rukia walks over to the girl's side and squats down next to her.

"If I am able, I will take that bastard down, and have the police come find you. Try to keep hope alive." Rukia tells the girl as she lays a hand on her cheek. The girl's eyes fly open. She looks around as though she expects to see someone.

"She has started to sense us. It won't be long before she dies now. She never used to sense us at all." Hinamori tells Rukia.

"Maybe she sensed us because she felt me trying to give her hope instead of relegating her to being dead already," Rukia tells Hinamori in a pointed voice.

"You only say that because you weren't here to see it. I however have no desire to show it to you, since it was that sick." Hinamori says with a note of finality in her voice.

Rukia is glad. She doesn't want to see this girl getting torn up by two sick men at the same time. Just knowing it happened is bad enough.

"I appreciate your consideration." Rukia says meaningfully.

"Part of me thinks you're hopeless, and the other part of me thinks you're the only one I can depend on to take care of the problem." Hinamori tells her.

"If only I knew who he was." Rukia tells her softly. Hinamori gives her a chilling look.

"I'm sure you'll be shocked when you finally find out." Hinamori predicts.

Rukia sits up in bed and yanks out her cell phone. Once again she finds the comfort she seeks when she gets into his bed with him. That sense of dread and caution won't leave her as long as she keeps having these strange dreams with Hinamori Momo.

J J J J

When Ichigo and Rukia are invited to a Christmas Eve party at Inoue's apartment, they agree to go. Everyone who was at Noriko's party was invited. Rukia who loves parties, immediately started to get excited after the fact.

"I hope this party isn't crashed like the last one," Ichigo had said once they were alone together. He can tell Rukia's all hyped up about the party, but he can't help but remember what happened at Itou's house. They head home.

"You worry too much." Rukia had responded with a small frown.

"Sometimes I think you don't worry enough," Ichigo tells her with a grin.

"I'm always on guard. I just don't think we should stop enjoying life, I don't want to spend my life worrying." Rukia tells him.

"When are you going to tell me about this latest dream?" Ichigo asks her next. Rukia' cheeks burn a bit at that.

"Hinamori Momo came to show me that the girl he took is still alive and is progressively getting worse. Not only that, the captor allowed a blind man in to hurt her as well. The girl was muttering like she was losing her mind, and she had a black eye." Rukia admits to Ichigo, who looks obviously horrified.

"If your dreams are correct, he's had her for two or three months." Ichigo tells Rukia with a concerned look.

"She's lost weight, and she's losing her mind. I was told that she bled a lot after the two men had their way with her at the same time." Rukia says with disgust. Ichigo's eyes widen.

"At the same time?" He asks her in horror, not liking the mental image that creates in his mind.

"Yeah. One in her mouth and one down there…at the same time." Rukia tells him with angry eyes.

"Sick." Ichigo says, now that a new mental image has been created in his head. He feels bad for the beautiful American girl that Rukia had shown him the picture of when she had finally found it.

"I promised both of them that I would do something about him, since she keeps insisting that I'm on the list." Rukia tells him with a serious look in her eyes.

"What can you do though?" Ichigo asks in confusion.

"She told me, that when he comes after me, I have to find a way to stop him. Then I have to lie to the police and tell them that he mentioned another girl that he's keeping captive. That's the only way to save her. Except that I don't know when he'll be coming for me." Rukia says with a bit of annoyance.

"I can't believe you keep having these dreams periodically." Ichigo tells her with a surprised look. "I don't even think I could handle having those kinds of dreams, that involve real live missing people." Ichigo says with a visible shudder.

"That's why whenever I have those dreams, I always call to spend the rest of the night with you." Rukia explains. It's very hard on her to have such disturbing and vivid dreams about the torture of other young women.

"I want you to promise me one thing." Ichigo suddenly says as a realization hits him.

"What?" Rukia asks him with her big blue eyes staring up into his own eyes.

"If she appears in a dream, and hints that the time for him to come take you is near, you'll tell me immediately." Ichigo tells her as he pins her with a serious stare.

"I promise." Rukia says immediately.

"She appeared the night your uncle came after you too." Ichigo says as he realizes her dreams may be the key to keeping her safe.

"Yeah, she showed me being captured that night too." Rukia tells him as she remembers how she had been pushed back onto the bed in the creepy room in her dream as if by some invisible force.

The restraints had tightened on her again, and the headless man had come into the room and had been so close to touching her when she finally woke up. Then she had confronted her uncle. Since then she has not be restrained at all in her own dreams.

"I still think it's completely strange that you can see the faces of his victims, but you can't see him at all." Ichigo says with a bit of irritation. Everything would be so much easier if they had a face for the man.

"She has tried telling me many times what his name is, but I'm never allowed to hear or see the name. She said that she was being blocked from giving me that information." Rukia explains to Ichigo.

"Why would the killer be able to do something like that?" Ichigo asks her.

"He is the only link between me and these girls. Apparently that plays some role in me not being allowed to see his face or hear his name." Rukia tells Ichigo with a defeated voice.

"So you're actually tapped into the killer." Ichigo tells her suddenly, causing Rukia to give him a skeptical look.

"What makes you say that?" Rukia says with confusion. She doesn't really like the idea of being tapped into anybody other than Ichigo.

"He holds control over what you can and cannot know about him in your dreams. It's like he's broadcast out into the world all of his sick thoughts, and you're like a transmitter in your sleep, tapping into them for your own self-preservation." Ichigo tells Rukia. It sounds like a good theory, since it's true that she has never seen the killer's face or heard his name, but she has seen his home and his secret chamber with all that it has inside of it.

"Well then why was I able to see her abduction, if that's true?" Rukia asks him, since she's not so sure she can merely believe she's tapped into someone as sick as the man who has hurt two girls that she's sure of.

"You probably tapped into that dead girl a little bit too. I find it highly doubtful that she could have passed on peacefully based on the kind of treatment that you described her having." Ichigo says, after a moment of thought.

"She told me he still exhibits control in her, even after death, which is why she couldn't write or say his name so that I could understand it." Rukia says softly.

"Creepy. I would prefer to talk about something else now." Ichigo says with another shiver.

"I wish Inoue had decided on this party sooner." Rukia tells Ichigo since it's kind of late notice.

"She's lucky everybody agreed to come, since all of the couples are going to spend Christmas Day together." Ichigo says, glad to talk about their original topic again.

"It was fun, shopping with the girls." Rukia tells Ichigo with a shy smile.

"You've become friends with everybody in such a short amount of time. I never was close at all to Michiru or Inoue." Ichigo tells her with a smile.

"They're very sweet girls." Rukia says with a smile.

"I never noticed, even though I witnessed a real painful moment for Inoue in the past." Ichigo tells her. Rukia's ears perk up.

"Really?" She asks him, waiting for him to explain.

"It was a few years ago now, her older brother died in front of our clinic, waiting for an ambulance to take him to a hospital that could treat him. It was a car accident, and she was leaning over him as he died, crying her eyes out. It's not a scene easily forgotten. I still never talk to her though." Ichigo explains to Rukia.

"I think she might end up hooking up with Ishida. She bought him a Christmas present." Rukia tells Ichigo with a grin. They open the door to his house and step in.

"I still can't believe Sado and Michiru hooked up." Ichigo says as they get closer to the hanging mistletoe. Rukia doesn't seem to have noticed.

"They've been attracted to each other since Itou's party." Rukia says with a smile.

Ichigo yanks Rukia into his arms and takes the final step under the mistletoe.

"Gotcha." Ichigo says in a sexy voice, before he lowers his lips to hers.

_I love Christmas._ That's all Rukia can think as she lets him kiss her senseless.

J J J J

Inoue's party ends up running much more smoothly than Itou's party had, for the simple fact that nobody breaks in to attack them.

Rukia and Ichigo brought some snacks for the party, courtesy of Yuzu, and Inoue had been very grateful. There wasn't any alcohol at this party either, which meant it was far easier to keep Chizuru in check as well.

Inoue had hung up mistletoe and several couples made sure to get caught underneath it, including Rukia and Ichigo. There was cake and games, and everyone ended up having an enjoyable time.

By the end of the party, Ishida and Inoue were an official couple, and they had plans to spend the next day together. Neither one of them realized that the other also had a gift for the other when they made these plans.

Chizuru ended up getting depressed at that news, and surprisingly enough, Noriko and Keigo are much closer than anybody had previously thought they might be.

Noriko no longer gives Keigo regular looks of disgust, and they're regularly together. Keigo never minds when Chizuru focuses on his girlfriend though, he really gets a kick out of it. Especially since he's been trying to convince Noriko to have a threesome with Chizuru. Noriko has been adamant that it will never happen.

When he caught Noriko under the mistletoe, and Chizuru came around back of Noriko to feel her up as Keigo kissed her, Keigo had stuck his hands out and grabbed Chizuru's breasts, sending her running off before she could actually feel up Noriko. Everybody had laughed, and Noriko had looked confused by the laughter as she'd pulled away from him.

Chizuru had glared at Keigo for copping a feel, and nobody in the room could find themselves feeling sorry for her, considering how often she does that same thing to the others. All in all it was a really enjoyable night, and Ichigo was glad that he took Rukia to the party when they called the car to take them home.

"Tomorrow, we'll spend the day together, visit the Christmas Tree in Karakura Town, and I won't give you your gift until the end of the day," Ichigo warns Rukia.

"I can't wait!" Rukia had said with happiness. Ichigo had walked her to her door, and then he'd gone home.

Luckily for Rukia, her bad dreams left her alone on Christmas Eve.

J J J J

"Wow, it's beautiful!" Rukia tells Ichigo as they pull up to the Karakura Town Christmas Tree.

"Isn't it great? I've always come here every year to look at it." Ichigo tells her softly.

"Thanks for bringing me, it feels so romantic." Rukia says as they get out of the car and she takes note of all of the couples nearby that all look to be so much in love. Ichigo grins as he takes her hand and leads her over near to the tree. The visit to the tree has never been enjoyable as what it is today now that he's coming here to see it with her.

"I'm glad you like it," Ichigo says as a small blush appears on his cheek. The mistletoe and the box with her ring are in his pocket, and he can feel his heart beating faster since the moment that he'll give the ring to her grows nearer.

"I've never been as excited about Christmas as I am today!" Rukia tells him as her eyes shine happily up at him. A few couples nearby hear her and smile at her excitement.

_Ah, young love._

Ichigo notices several of the looks, and tries not to feel embarrassed. He's never done something as romantic as stand in front of the Christmas Tree holding the hand of the woman he loves more than he loves himself. Snow is falling lightly and the scene is very picturesque.

He really wants to put the ring on her finger.

"Come with me, I want to take a walk with you." Ichigo says softly. Rukia notices the very warm look in his eyes and she smiles happily.

"Okay." Rukia says as she lets him pull her away from the tree.

They walk for awhile until they come to a snow filled riverbank. Ichigo smiles, since he can so strongly feel his mother's love when he's here. It's the perfect place. He stops and looks at Rukia and takes both of her hands.

"I love you Rukia." Ichigo says it softly, and meaningfully. She smiles up at him.

"I love you too." She says back as her eyes continue to sparkle with happiness. Ichigo lets go of one of her hands and pulls out the mistletoe first and Rukia grins when she sees it. He leans down and gives her a long and sensuous kiss.

When he pulls away from her, he sticks one hand back in his pocket, to put the mistletoe away and to feel for the box that is sitting securely there. Rukia watches and her mouth drops open completely when he falls to one knee in front of her.

"I've always wanted to marry you, and I want to ask you again, now that we're mature. Will you do me the honor and bring me the happiness I desire in my life by agreeing to marry me and be my wife forever?" Ichigo asks softly as he pulls the box out and opens the top to present the ring to her.

Rukia's hand goes to her mouth and her eyes widen at the sight of the most beautiful ring she has ever laid eyes on is right in front of her face. Tears spring to her eyes as she looks at the man of her dreams, holding the most beautiful ring, asking her to marry him and be with him forever.

"Yes!" Rukia says as her voice breaks from the emotion.

Ichigo smiles and takes the ring out of the box and takes a hold of her left hand. He slides the ring onto her left ring finger and smiles at her as she leans over to kiss him. When she pulls away, she stares at the beautiful ring on her hand.

"Thank you, Rukia." Ichigo tells her softly. "You've made this Christmas perfect." Ichigo tells her in that same soft loving voice.

"It's only perfect for me because I'm here with you." Rukia tells him softly, feeling all choked up at the emotion coming over her. The ring is gorgeous. A beautiful diamond with sapphires on either side. Not only that, it matches very well with all of the other jewelry that he's given to her. She stares at him with love filling her eyes.

"I wanted to propose to you here for a reason." Ichigo admits to her softly, as he still has one hundred percent of her attention. He looks around the area and then he looks back at her. Then he points at the road that's only about ten meters away from where they're standing.

"What is it?" Rukia asks softly as she follows with here eyes where he's pointing at.

"When I was nine years old, on the way home from karate at the dojo, it was a really rainy night. My mom was holding my hand and walking with me right on the side of the road. It was pretty dark outside, and we were getting pretty wet, but everything was fine, and I was smiling as I walked with my mother home. We all of a sudden heard screeching tires and we saw a car coming around the curve, and it wasn't under control at all. My mother shoved me hard out of the way and the car hit her…killing her instantly. The driver was drunk." Ichigo says sadly.

"That's how she died?" Rukia says in horror. A drunk driver took away someone as wonderful as Ichigo's mother?

"Yeah. It's because of that, I can always feel her presence so strongly whenever I come here. She always wanted me to marry you, and she kept my memories of you very strong until the day she died. I thought it was only right that she get to witness the actual ring being put on your finger." Ichigo whispers as a tear spills unwillingly from his left eye. It follows his nose down until it hits his lip and falls to the ground.

"I'm so sorry Ichigo, that's so terrible…yet I appreciate and understand why you did it this way. Thank you for sharing that with me." Rukia tells him softly.

"You're probably the only person who understands what it's like to have your mother die to protect you." Ichigo tells her as he gains control of himself and doesn't allow anymore tears to fall.

"It's hard." Rukia whispers as she feels a lump in her throat.

"I usually only come around here in June to think, since it's the month she died. I can feel her strongly even in the month of December too though." Ichigo says as he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath of air, calming himself completely.

"I want to make you smile for the rest of your life." Rukia tells him, causing him to grin at her.

"You're the only one who could pull that off." He tells her as he pulls her close.

"I love you more than words can even say!" Rukia says forcefully into his chest as she wraps her arms around him as tight as she possibly can.

"Rukia." Ichigo says achingly as he hold her in his arms. He doesn't even want to let her go, he's feeling too good, too happy to even want to let her away from him right now.

"Nothing will stop me from being with you. Not my dreams, not my uncle, and I won't ever let anyone stop me from being with you." Rukia says as he holds her close. She feels like she could move a mountain right now, her whole body is feeling so wondrous, so powerful, and so amazing. "There's nothing I can't accomplish if it means getting to be held by you like this every day for the rest of my life." Rukia tells him softly.

"You make me so happy, Rukia." Ichigo says. Neither one of them try to pull away.

They stay like that for a very long time, enjoying the love that surrounds them all around and makes them feel safe, warm, and comfortable.


	40. Chapter 39: The Visitor

Chapter 39

_The Visitor_

When Aizen had met Tousen Kaname, it had been a very strange encounter for him. Tousen had started talking about Aizen's "girls" out of the blue quite publicly and Aizen had quickly taken him to somewhere private where they could talk. Tousen had told Aizen that he wanted to see the girl, and Aizen had taken him home with the intention of killing him once they got there.

When they got to his house, Aizen got out his syringe, and he attempted to inject Tousen, who instantly batted his hand away and quickly grabbed him by the neck and had threatened him to show him the girl. The syringe had clanked harmlessly to the floor. Aizen had then been released and he had looked at the blind man in shock.

He had realized he'd have to make the guy a part of everything and he decided to make the guy an offer.

"I'll let you see the girl on one condition." Aizen had finally responded as he'd rubbed his neck, still tingling from Tousen's grip. This blind man understood his true nature like no other person ever had upon meeting him like this.

"You _do_ realize you're not in a position to be making a lot of demands right now, _don't you_?" Tousen had asked with amusement in his voice. Aizen had ignored that comment.

"I want you to become my partner here." Aizen had said to the blind man. Tousen had appeared to think about it for a moment.

"If you really mean that, then let us go to the girl together, and take care of her as partners," Tousen had said, waiting to hear Aizen's response. Aizen had smiled in relief.

"Of course." Aizen had said before he guided Tousen to the room where the captive was being held.

Aizen remembers this meeting now and he still is shocked at Tousen Kaname and his ability to discern so well what's right in front of him, even though he's blind.

J J J J

Everyone loved Rukia's ring. When she and Ichigo had arrived home on Christmas Day with Ichigo looking lovesick, Yuzu had greatly admired it and had smiled up at Rukia when she told her that she looked very pretty with the ring on. Ichigo and Rukia spent the week off from school being together as much as they possibly could.

When Ichigo and Rukia met up with all of their friends for Hatsumode, all of the girls had admired it as well. Noriko's eyes had grown the widest at the sight of it. All of the other girls had grinned knowingly and they were all happy for Rukia, since they're all aware of what Ichigo means to her.

Rukia loves looking at her hand with the ring on it, since it always makes her feel like she's bursting with love. The girls had all agreed that it went well with the other jewelry that Ichigo had given to her, and several girls hope they get a ring as beautiful when they're finally proposed to. She definitely got the gift that received the most attention and reaction from their friends. Rukia had grinned at all of the envious stares at her ring.

Michiru had gotten a necklace from Sado, since he had remembered her admiring Kuchiki-san's jewelry from Ichigo earlier in the year. He had bought her a gold necklace with music notes at the bottom. She really liked that. He had really liked the guitar necessities that she had given him too, and had smiled when he told her that they would really come in handy for when he plays with his band.

Tatsuki was given a belly chain and an anklet by Renji who thought she'd look really sexy in them. Everyone realizes that the jewelry really does suit her. Tatsuki loves her gifts as well, and she likes that Renji wears the cologne everyday that she gave to him, since she loves the scent. She likes to lean in close to him to smell him when he wears it. He enjoys when she does that too.

Ishida had spent a lot of time and created Inoue a beautiful skirt and blouse ensemble with a large flower print as he noticed a long time ago what her preference was. She adored his gift considering they hadn't even been dating when he had worked on it. Ishida enjoyed her sewing kit and fabrics that she had presented to him and he had told her he would definitely make use of all of it.

Ichigo had loved his laptop too and had been surprised at the extravagance of it. He figured it would come in handy with his later schooling since he was beginning to think that as a direct result of Rukia's troubles, he might want to join law enforcement one day to help put away sick people like her uncle. He also sometimes thinks that he'd like to be a doctor.

Rukia had been free of creepy dreams for the week in between Christmas and New Years, which had been a nice start to the New Year.

The New Year came and went without anything strange happening, and when Rukia's birthday came around, Ichigo took her out for ice cream, and even though he was fairly low on money due to giving his father a lot of it for the ring, he had kept enough aside to be able to get Rukia a small birthday gift. He had decided on some fancy bubble bath, and when he had given it to her she had smiled suggestively at him.

"Maybe we can get in the tub and try it out together," Rukia had said with a wink. Ichigo had blushed, but he had been pleased. He couldn't wait to try it out with her either.

Rukia feels so happy since she and Ichigo have such a close bond, and it grows stronger every day, especially since he had given her the ring. She loves wearing it. Her whole body tingles when she remembers the incredibly romantic way he proposed to her. She also no longer has to wonder how his mother died, though it had been a heartbreaking tale to hear.

She feels like she can conquer the world when she looks at her ring, and she feels like she can take on that jerk that hurt Hinamori and Tara. There is no way she'll allow him to take her away from Ichigo. She will make him pay for being a violent sexual predator when he finally makes his move to come and get her. She'll especially make him regret ever targeting her.

Two days after her birthday, Rukia is visited by Hinamori Momo again. Once again she's in a rocking chair in the predator's house looking upset when Rukia spots her.

"The time is drawing near." Hinamori tells her with a serious look. "He'll be coming for you." She adds.

"Is Tara okay?" Rukia asks with concern.

"See for yourself." Hinamori says as she guides Rukia back to the familiar creepy chamber that Rukia is used to seeing now in her dreams. The girl is on the floor crying softly in her sleep. The lights are on like they always are.

"The blind man stays here now too. She's had to learn new disgusting lines for him." Hinamori tells Rukia softly.

"Sick. Where's the other bastard while he's raping her?" Rukia asks as she stares down at the girl who is obviously in bad shape.

"He is in the room sometimes, pleasuring himself while it's happening, or if the blind guy demands privacy, he'll go and watch on the cameras. He likes to have the videos on from when he held me captive and raped me while he's watching the blind guy hurt the hell out of her." Hinamori says in a voice that sounds angry and hurt at the same time.

"Shit." Rukia says as she bites her lip and looks down at the girl who is currently being held captive.

"He makes her say sick things too. As he hurts her, he forces her to say that being with him is justice itself. He tells her to ask for justice too. It's really very disturbing considering what's happened in this room is the exact opposite of justice! It's so damned insulting to her!" Hinamori says angrily with clenched fists.

"She looks completely abused," Rukia says sadly as she looks at the girl on the floor.

"You do understand don't you? You can expect worse treatment than this when you are brought here." Hinamori tells her grimly.

"He'll have to get me in here first, and I won't let that happen." Rukia tells her in a hard voice.

"I really don't know how much longer she can last, he's just barely keeping her alive. I think he wants you to be here to see her die." Hinamori tells Rukia in a disturbed tone. "He only keeps her here in the first place to make sure he can keep his calm while he bides his time to come and get you." Hinamori tells her softly.

"It's really sick. What he's done to her is inhuman," Rukia says softly as her heart goes out to the girl.

"It's hard for me to say this, but what she's been going through is even worse than what I went through. He's getting sicker by the day. I really fear for you when he gets you into this room." Hinamori says in a shaky voice. "You're the one he dreams about hurting and owning more than anything."

"It shouldn't be like this." Rukia whispers angrily. "No girl should have to experience it like this." Rukia says, thinking of how wonderful her experiences with Ichigo are.

"I've seen you," Hinamori says in a strange voice, causing Rukia to look away from Tara to meet her eyes.

"What do you mean, you've seen me?" Rukia asks in confusion as she looks at the girl who scares her so much.

"I've seen you making love to that boy. I've never experienced anything like that." Hinamori tells her. Rukia blushes.

"You're not supposed to watch that, it's private." Rukia tells her. Hinamori ignores Rukia's statement.

"I was a virgin before the night I was brought here. I have never experienced what you have with that boy. It was never willing for me." Hinamori says sadly.

"I'm sorry." Rukia whispers to her, feeling badly that the only sexual experiences that Hinamori had ever had were violent and terrorizing.

Both girls jump when the headless man enters the room completely naked. Rukia immediately averts her eyes from him.

"Shit. He must have woken up after dreaming about you, he always comes here after dreaming about you." Hinamori tells Rukia who feels bile rising in her throat at that information.

They watch as the man walks over to the girl and lowers himself on top of her.

"You really have no idea how thankful I am that you help keep me sane while I plot to take the girl I really desire and want to hurt. If it weren't for you, I might not be able to be so patient." Aizen's words sound inhuman once again and make Rukia feel sick to her stomach and she turns her hear away when Tara opens her eyes and starts to cry hard at the sight of the man naked and above her.

"I am going to stop you, you sick son of a bitch! You won't ever get your hands on me, do you hear me you sick fucker?" Rukia shouts at the top of her lungs at the offending man.

Rukia and Hinamori look at each other in surprise when Aizen suddenly stops paying attention to Tara and looks around the room as though he heard Rukia or senses them.

"Shit! Don't be so loud, he might be able to hear you!" Hinamori says fearfully.

"Don't be silly." Rukia says, since she is so disgusted by the man. How could she not say something?

"Do you get the feeling that we're being watched?" Aizen asks Tara before he penetrates her. Rukia refuses to watch the rape itself.

"He knows we're here watching him," Hinamori says anxiously as she gives Rukia a desperate look.

"No he doesn't." Rukia argues.

"He just said he feels he's being watched!" Hinamori tells Rukia in a hiss. "You can't be so loud! His mind is extremely strong, and he can not be allowed to sense us here." Hinamori says nervously.

"Who wants to watch that sick fuck?" Rukia yells at Hinamori who looks at her frantically.

"Shhhh!" Hinamori hisses fervently to Rukia.

"Stop worrying." Rukia commands her. She doesn't like the pit in her stomach that is forming due to Hinamori's outburst.

"This is bad." Hinamori tells her. They both turn when they hear Aizen stand. It appears he's done with Tara for now.

"How strange." Aizen says softly, even though Rukia can only hear the inhuman sound of his voice. He looks in the direction where the two girls were just arguing and Hinamori gasps and takes a big step back.

"He knows. This is bad." Hinamori says with dread.

"Don't be paranoid." Rukia says softly as Aizen walks over and stands directly in front of her. Rukia watches in surprise as he raises his hand and it comes straight at her neck. She's able to step out of the way just in time before he takes hold of her throat.

"Shit." Hinamori says with wide fearful eyes. Rukia glances at her in horror as he takes the remaining steps to close in the distance between her and him again. Rukia tries to step back again, but this time she is unable to move. It's as though her feet are stuck to the floor.

"What's happening?" Rukia asks Hinamori in fear and confusion as the man's hand reaches for her throat again. She looks down and watches her clothes disintegrate. Hinamori cringes when she sees the smile on Aizen's face. His head and face aren't blocked from her vision, only from Rukia's vision.

"He's taken over everything. I told you his mind is powerful. I'm sorry." Hinamori says as Aizen's hand grips Rukia's throat. Then Momo begins to disappear like Rukia's clothes did. The look on the girl's face as she disintegrates is one of pure sorrow.

Rukia tries to bring her arms up to bat his hands away from her, but she can't move them either.

"I have waited for this moment. You want to fuck me bad, don't you?" His voice is distorted and it echoes around in her ears. "You can't stop dreaming about fucking me." He says with arrogance clearly in his voice. "You should be on top since you want me so bad." He says with a cocky laugh.

Rukia gasps angrily as his other hand comes up to her cheek and runs slowly down over her breast and to her stomach where he rests it for the time being.

"I don't want you," Rukia mutters at him angrily as she tries to move her arms again. It's of no use. She can't even move them at all now.

Aizen chuckles in a way that rings in her brain as he leans down and bites the soft skin on her breast. Rukia gasps in pain and the laughing continues. She hadn't even expected or seen it coming. Him being headless really is a problem, in more ways than one. She can't help but to cringe at his closeness to her.

"You want me so bad. You want to know what it's like to have me inside of you. That's why you dream of me." He says with a chuckle as he presses his naked body against hers and continues to laugh sadistically.

"No." Rukia says as she feels his skin touch hers.

"I want you too. I want to feel what you feel like on the inside." He tells her in an amused voice as his hand travels down her side. Rukia shudders and he laughs some more. He pulls back and stares at her face, not that she can tell where he is looking since she can't see his face.

"I don't want that." Rukia tells him as forcefully as she can muster.

"You're so beautiful when you're scared. It makes me so hard to look at you this way." He tells her. He suddenly squats down and sticks his tongue in between her legs and Rukia's mouth drops open at that action. She can't see his face, all she can feel is the sensation that she's suddenly very wet between her legs, even though she isn't the least bit turned on.

He stands and he grabs her hair and tilts her head back roughly to shove his tongue into her mouth. Rukia can't even bite down on his tongue. It's all around in her mouth and he has one hand in her hair and the other on himself. She can tell he's rubbing himself. She can hardly believe she can feel his tongue in her mouth when she can't even see his face.

"Get away." Rukia tries to say as he's invading her mouth. It doesn't work, he just kisses her more deeply. He rubs his body against hers and he pushes her back into the wall. Funny she can only seem to move when he wants her to. He takes her hand and places it on his erection.

"Rub it." He commands her as he grabs her around the neck and starts to squeeze.

"Ow!" Rukia gasps out and he squeezes her neck even harder. He keeps squeezing her neck and he uses the hand he'd used to put her hand on his erection to grab and squeeze her nipple hard, and he breathes hard in pleasure at her cry of pain. Rukia had tried to pull her hand away from his erection when he lifted his hand of hers, but she found that she was unsuccessful in that endeavor.

"You're probably real experienced now aren't you? Show me." He says huskily into her ear as he squeezes the breath out of her.

She thinks it's incredibly strange that she can feel his breath on her ear when she can't even see his face, though no stranger than feeling his tongue in her mouth or his teeth on her breast. Rukia tries again to pull her hand away from his erection, but it's as if it's stuck to him by glue. She can't get her hand off of him.

"No!" Rukia says with more conviction.

He squeezes her neck harder until she complies with his demand. Rukia doesn't understand why this all feels so real and so very unlike a dream even though it couldn't be anything else. She feels like her hand is moving against her will.

She finally begins searching the man's body for some hint to his identity. Birthmarks, tattoos, scars, or distinguishable marks that can tell him apart from another man. He's well built and very strong apparently, she can tell he keeps in decent shape but she still searches for an identifiable feature on his body that she can use to discern him from other men. She doesn't look at his erection in her hand though.

She sees nothing uniquely different about him, but he keeps laughing at the way she's so obviously observing his body. He groans at the motions her hand is making against her will as she slides it up and down on his hardness.

"I can tell, you like looking at a real man's body don't you? It feels so fucking good when you touch me like that. I was right, you are really good at that." He tells her with a turned on moan. Rukia grimaces. She hates how he is so obviously enjoying her being forced to touch him like this. She also hates how his hands are all over her body, as though he has some sort of right to put them there.

"Ugh." Rukia mumbles as he groans from her touch.

"Don't play innocent. You want me a much as I want you." He tells her in that same creepy voice with a pleased moan at the end.

"I don't want you anywhere near me. I hate how it feels to have to touch you, and I hate how it feels when you're touching me." Rukia hisses at the air above his neck.

"Now guide me inside of you." He commands her as he ignores her biting words. Rukia feels like she wants to vomit as his body presses against her again.

"No." Rukia says it again, and he laughs.

"I want to see how your breasts bounce when you fuck me." He tells her before she feels him biting on her earlobe, rather hard. Against her will, she uses her hand to position his erection right where it needs to be in order for him to have sex with her. "That's it," he says with an excited voice.

"I want you dead." Rukia tells him just as he's about to enter her. She can hear his resounding laugh and she feels the hardness pressing against her softness and she prepares to scream as he's about to enter her.

Rukia sits straight up in bed and quickly runs her hands over her body. It had seemed so damned real. She can clearly remember what it was like when his tongue was in her mouth. She can still vividly imagine the sensation of that body pressed up against hers, skin on skin. She remembers the feel of her hand grasping his erection. Most of all, she remembers the feel of him being right up against her, about to enter her.

Ichigo is the only man she should know those feelings from. She feels horribly invaded.

She quickly calls Ichigo and makes her way over to the peace his arms bring her when she sleeps with him.

J J J J

"I'm going to be going to get the next target soon." Aizen informs Tousen, who is so sensitive that Aizen can't even get into his bedroom when he sleeps without him sensing it. The man's ability to perceive exactly what's around him is very scary to Aizen.

"Are you sure you want to take that chance?" Tousen asks him succinctly.

"I dream of her. I want to own her so badly I can feel it. I can't wait to see what she looks like without a stitch of clothing covering her from me. Most of all I want to see if she is as tiny on the inside as she is on the outside." Aizen says softly to his partner.

"When are you going to do it?" Tousen asks Aizen curiously.

"This weekend. I'll be gone two days, tops." Aizen tells him.

"Why don't you run your perfect plan by me to see if I can find any holes in it?" Tousen asks him, as he senses his partner's plan has many holes in it.

"It's a secret. I am very confident about my plan, I don't need you to run over it for me." Aizen tells him as he eyes the man.

"I can tell without you even saying anything that your plan is risky." Tousen says, causing Aizen to glare at him.

"I have a request of you." Aizen says to Tousen.

"Really, what might that be?" Tousen asks Aizen.

"When I get the new girl here, I want you to leave her alone for at least a week. I've been desiring her for so long, I just want to have her to myself for the first week. I have many plans for her." Aizen tells him.

"Is that really treating your partner fairly?" Tousen asks him in a soft voice.

"That's why I made a request. I'm asking you to do me this favor, as my partner." Aizen tells him in the same type of soft voice that Tousen had just used.

"As your partner I'll agree to your request on one condition. If you leave the new girl for more than ten minutes and I want to try her out then I will. Otherwise, I'll leave her be for a week." Tousen tells Aizen.

Aizen knows he'll have to agree to it. Even though he doesn't want to share Rukia, after all, it just means he'll spend all of his first week with the girl. He'll never leaving her side for more than ten minutes. The very idea is making him excited.

"We have a deal." Aizen says smoothly as he anticipates his plan.

"If you're so sure about your plan working out, and you'd like for me to really keep my distance if this plan of yours succeeds, I'd also like to make a request." Tousen says, still speaking rather softly.

"What is your request?" Aizen asks him suspiciously.

"I want you to will all of your possessions to me, should anything happen to you," Tousen tells him evenly. Aizen feels his eyes widening in response to that bold request.

"I'll have to request you stay away from her for a month if you want me to do all of that." Aizen tells him in a low voice.

"I can tell you don't want me near her. Very well, if that's what it takes, I want you to have the paperwork ready before you leave. A friend of mine will look over it, someone I trust to make sure you're on the up and up." Tousen tells him with a warning note to his voice.

"I have to say that I don't regret this partnership," Aizen tells him. At least now the blonde won't die in his absence, Tousen will see to her livelihood.

"I must agree, it seems to be a mutually beneficial partnership for both of us." Tousen says as he considers how nice it's been to have access to the girl in the chamber.

Most women were very turned off by the fact that he was blind. Not only was he blind but he was so very insightful and that turned women off a lot too. That he could discern so much about them so very quickly.

Even though he could feel the revulsion of the girl in the chamber, it didn't bother him at all, because he was able to still have sex with her. Not only that but his partner has trained her to be fearful, and so she follows orders very well. In fact her fearful words, coming out against her will turn him on more than he ever thought they would.

Tousen loves hearing her tell him that it feels like justice when he's deep inside of her. He likes making her tell him to give her justice too. He's more than happy to give her the justice he makes her ask for. She has a nice bosom, and her skin feels so young when he touches it. These are things that as a blind man, he can really appreciate when it comes to the girl.

J J J J

Every night of the week, Rukia dreams of Hinamori Momo, which she's sure means, she'll be having a real encounter with the psycho very soon. She had warned Ichigo and he hadn't been surprised when she'd called him every night of the week.

On Friday night, when Rukia arrives home from the gym with Ichigo, they're surprised to find Professor Aizen Sousuke sitting in the kitchen having an animated discussion with Shoko, who appears to adore him.

Ichigo looks the man up and down, and Rukia notices. She rushes to introduce Aizen to Ichigo.

"Aizen-sensei, this is my fiancé, Kurosaki Ichigo." Rukia says hurriedly.

"Nice to meet you." Ichigo says, though it doesn't sound as though he really means it. Rukia nudges him at that.

"I'm surprised to see you here, I thought you would email me before you came over." Rukia says to Aizen with surprise in her voice.

"I meant to email you before I came to town, but I got so busy, it must have escaped my mind. I actually came to the town to visit an old friend of the family, but because his wife has pneumonia, I couldn't stay there as planned." Aizen tells her in a friendly voice. Shoko looks concerned at that.

"Where will you stay then, when you're in town for the weekend?" Shoko asks him curiously.

"I was planning on going to get a room after I left here," Aizen says smoothly.

"Nonsense. We have a guest bedrooms here. You can sleep here." Shoko says to him with a smile. "I could use some mature company around here anyways." She tells him, still smiling.

Ichigo scowls at that.

"Of course you can stay here." Rukia tells him softly. "It will be our pleasure." Rukia tells him with a smile.

"I couldn't possibly impose like that." Aizen says with a shake of his head.

"It's no imposition, I assure you. You will be doing an old woman a kind favor if you stick around and keep me company." Shoko tells him as she places a hand on his arm.

"How can I turn you down when you put it that way?" Aizen asks sheepishly, and Shoko smiles broadly at him.

"Wonderful! No need to stay at a hotel when you have friends right here in town." Shoko says happily. Ichigo nudges Rukia's arm and points to his wrist as though he's reminding her of the time.

"We have to hurry over next door for dinner, I'll see you later, Aizen-sensei!" Rukia says as she and Ichigo run back out of the house.

"That's the guy who admired your gymnastics?" Ichigo asks with a scowl while they're in between houses.

"Yeah. He's really prestigious. Try not to be rude to him the next time that you see him, please." Rukia says, giving Ichigo a pointed look.

"Sure." Ichigo says with a roll of his eyes. The guy just rubs him the wrong way.

J J J J

When Rukia gets back home, she's earlier than she is on most Friday nights, and she's surprised to see Aizen-sensei and Shoko both drinking sake and laughing at the kitchen table.

"Ah, you're back," Aizen says with a friendly smile at her. Rukia grins.

"Truth is, it's been a really long week. I was too tired to stay out any later. Would it be alright if I spent time chatting with you tomorrow?" Rukia asks him with a regretful look in her eye.

"Don't worry about it, Aizen-sensei understands the demands of school, besides we were having a discussion as you came in." Shoko says with a smile at Rukia, letting her know it's okay to go upstairs to bed.

"I'll rejoin you in a moment, but first may I go get my suitcase out of the car, and will you please show me the way to the restroom?" Aizen asks Shoko. She smiles. Rukia smiles at the pair and heads upstairs.

"Of course." Shoko walks over and disarms the security code. She doesn't notice that Aizen watches her hand glide over the buttons as she does so either.

Aizen steps outside and he goes to get his suitcase. Ichigo happens to be sitting by his window when Aizen does this, and he watches the man with furrowed eyebrows as he walks back towards Rukia's house with his luggage.

He sees when Rukia's light shuts off and he wonders if she just laid down to go to bed. Ichigo stays up for awhile, long enough to be awake when Rukia calls him to tell him she wants to come over. Because Aizen-sensei and Shoko could still be heard in the kitchen, she ended up sneaking out the back door, which she almost never does. There's a security alarm pad there as well so she is able to slip out without being noticed by the drinking duo at the kitchen table.

When Rukia gets over, she's shaking like a leaf.

"What was it about this time?" Ichigo asks her with dread in his voice.

"It was so scary…" Rukia mutters as she buries her face in his chest.

"Tell me." Ichigo asks her softly.

"It was totally different from my other dreams. Hinamori Momo was flying in front of me with what appeared to be bat wings on her back. Her face was distorted and her eyes were glowing red. She kept yelling at me that I was next. That's all she would say. You're next, you're next, you're next!" Rukia tells him as she presses her face against his chest.

"That sounds creepy." Ichigo tells her as he sighs deeply and thinks of how he's glad she's here with him.

"If only I could accurately describe her face, her eyes, and how scary it was when she was saying those things to me. It wasn't the same girl I've dealt with in past dreams. It was as though she had morphed into something really terrible." Rukia whispers to him.

"No, you did a really good job of making it sound creepy enough," Ichigo assures her. He hates that she constantly has such terrifying dreams.

"Make love to me, Ichigo. I want to feel you all around me. It will get my mind off of my dreams." Rukia whispers to him.

"You know I'd do anything to make you feel better," Ichigo tells her as he presses a long sensuous kiss against her lips.

Rukia lets herself get completely lost in the wonder that is Ichigo.

J J J J

Aizen can hardly believe the old bat stayed up so late drinking with him, just yapping away the whole time. She sure could handle her liquor too. Aizen had found it difficult to keep up with her, though he had tried for awhile.

He didn't want to get completely drunk though and so he'd stopped keeping up with her hours ago. Aizen had helped her into her bedroom, and she had started snoring before he was even out of the room.

It was also almost three in the morning at this point. Aizen had grinned and he crept upstairs, cringing whenever they would creak. He has the syringe in his pocket. He locates Rukia's room on his second try. He had walked into the bathroom first.

He opens the door, but doesn't turn on the light. The light from the hall will have to do, since he doesn't want the kid next door to notice anything. Aizen creeps over to her bed with one hand on his crotch, and the other on the syringe. He can perfectly see the bulge in the bed as he approaches.

He pulls the cover back slowly and carefully so as to not wake her, since that would make everything much easier. When Aizen discovers a second blanket, buried underneath and a doll with black hair at the top showing on the pillow, he growls in frustration.

"When did she slip out?" Aizen asks out loud as he sits down in her bed. He had been sitting in view of the front door, but apparently she had gone out another door. Tomorrow night he'll have to sit in view of the stairs so that she can't slip out again. He decides to lay down in her bed, and sleep there. He wonders what kind of sensation that will cause. He can always say he was so drunk he didn't remember how he got up here.

He lays his head against her soft pillow and pulls her blanket over his body. He smiles as he thinks that she had dreams that involved one of his pets while she slept in this very bed. He turns his head to the side and inhales deeply. The pillow smells of her shampoo. He keeps rubbing himself in her bed until he finds total satisfaction. He uses her bathroom to clean himself up, and he goes back to her bedroom. He takes off all of his clothes before he lays down in her bed and falls asleep.

J J J J

When Ichigo sneaks Rukia back home early in the morning, she's pleased that Shoko isn't awake. She hadn't expected her to be, due to the amount of sake she's sure they went through the night before.

Rukia tiptoes upstairs and sees her door is cracked a bit. She slips inside and walks over to her bed, prepared to lay back in it. When she pulls the cover back, however, she's shocked to find a very naked Aizen-sensei dead asleep in her bed. He appears to be having an erotic dream, since he's completely erect. She blushes furiously in embarrassment and quickly covers him back up.

She quietly slips into her closet to grab a change of clothes. She does not want to wake him up since he's naked in her bed. She wonders again how much he and Shoko had to drink, and she blushes again when she realizes if she hadn't gone to Ichigo's house last night he might have drunkenly climbed into bed with her on accident. She feels glad that she was next door instead of in her bed now.

She hurriedly gathers her change of clothes, and she grabs her cell phone from her nightstand before she creeps out of the room, never once noticed by the half dead Aizen-sensei.

She goes into her bathroom and brushes her hair and changes clothes. Then she heads downstairs to the family room and flips on the television. After about an hour, when nobody wakes up, she heads over to Ichigo's house to spend the day with him.

She doesn't tell Ichigo about how she discovered the sensei naked in her bed when she had arrived home earlier. It's too embarrassing to think about it, let alone talk about it.


	41. Chapter 40: Naked

**A/N-Thank you for all of your reviews and the overwhelming support of this story, I'm touched that so many of you think it's great.**

**Theresa Crane :D**

Chapter 40

_Naked_

When Aizen wakes up with the sunlight streaming into Rukia's room, he quickly sits up. He glances around, and sees it's later in the morning than he had expected. It's just past nine.

He has no idea whether or not Rukia knows he slept here, and he grins when he imagines that she found him here. He wonders if she would have realized he was in her bed before she pulled back the covers. He figures he'll watch her closely for a reaction. After all, if she did find him here, she'll want to inform him that it's her room, and not a guest room. Even though it's kind of obvious that it's her room when you look around.

He heads downstairs to get his luggage, and he notes with satisfaction that he woke up before Shoko. He heads back upstairs with his luggage and enters Rukia's bathroom to use her tub. He bathes and gets dressed before he heads back downstairs. When he sees Shoko is still not awake, and Rukia is nowhere to be found, he heads back up into her room, leaving the door open so that he can hear anything coming from the downstairs and he starts to go through her drawers.

He smiles when he finds her undergarments and he pictures her wearing a lot of them. He rifles through all of her nightgowns and underwear, and he rubs a couple of pairs of her cutest silky underwear over his face. He looks through her bras too, but they don't give him the same thrill that her underwear had given him.

He would take a couple of pairs home if he thought for one minute that he might be leaving this house without the girl, but he plans to make sure that she can't pull what she did last night, and he intends to be within sight of the stairs with Shoko so that she can't sneak out.

He opens her closet door and his eyes widen at the size of it. It's huge. He starts rifling through her clothing and he smiles when he finds the dress she wore when she met him for tea. He runs his hand down the front of it as he remembers the way she stopped him from grabbing her breast. He feels very powerful even without her around as he invades her private space as he desires. He suddenly hears water running downstairs and he scowls since he knows he'd better hurry and leave her room now.

He walks past his luggage and hurries downstairs, and when he enters the kitchen, he doesn't see anybody. Shoko enters the room behind him and he spins around when he hears her. She gives him a big and bright smile when she spots him and Aizen returns the smile.

"I hope you don't think we're bad hosts here." Shoko says apologetically.

"Not at all, I just woke up a little while ago myself. I truly enjoyed your company last night, and I'd like to thank both you and Rukia-chan for your hospitality and I'd like to take the two of you ladies out for a fancy dinner tonight." Aizen tells her with as charming a smile as he can gather. Shoko's eyes widen and she smiles hugely.

"We would be honored!" Shoko tells him as she beams at him.

"I hope this won't interfere with any plans that Rukia-chan might have," Aizen says to Shoko with as genuine a look of concern as he can possibly muster. He just wants her to be in his presence, and not with anyone else.

"Don't worry, she'll be as honored as I am to accept your invitation." Shoko assures him as she walks over to stand in front of him. Even though she knows there is no way that he can possibly find her attractive, she thinks he is quite handsome, and since he's nice to her, she really allows herself to enjoy his company.

"I'm the one who is honored," Aizen tells her in a low voice, since he's already noticed her attraction to him. He figures he may as well use that to his benefit as well. He puts a hand on her shoulder and he rubs her shoulder a bit and he smiles when she sighs instead of giving him a sharp look for touching her at all. He puts his other hand on her other shoulder and continues to rub her shoulders.

"Wow, you're good at that," Shoko says softly as she enjoys the feeling of her shoulders being rubbed. She can't remember the last time someone did something like that for her.

"Thanks." Aizen says as he keeps rubbing her shoulders for a moment longer. When he stops, he takes a step away from her, and smiles at her when she looks at him. "You ladies are so kind to welcome me into your home." Aizen tells her in a soft voice.

"You're welcome here any time. I'm sure Rukia would say the same." Shoko tells him firmly.

"I must admit, I've enjoyed myself the past day more than I have in a long time. I may take you up on that offer." Aizen tells her smoothly, even though he knows it will never happen. He's only here to collect his pet. Once he accomplishes that, he'll have no reason to return, certainly not for this old dried up prune.

"How sweet of you, to make this old woman feel so special." Shoko tells him softly. Aizen forces himself to give her a charming smile.

"You don't look old to me." Aizen tells her a bit huskily and he's actually surprised when the woman blushes.

"You're too kind." Shoko says as she feels a bit light headed. She's actually flirting with a man and it seems as though he's flirting back with her. The moment is ruined when Rukia walks into the house with Ichigo.

"Hello." Ichigo says to Shoko, he doesn't say anything to Aizen.

"Hello," Rukia says to Aizen. She can't help but blush when she looks at him. After all, she had seen him naked this morning. Aizen sees her pink cheeks and he correctly interprets that to mean that she did pull back the covers before she realized he was in her bed. That thought pleases him immensely.

"Good morning," Aizen tells both kids.

"Rukia, tonight you are going to go out to a fancy dinner with Aizen-sensei and me." Shoko tells her in a firm voice. Rukia's mouth drops open a little bit. Shoko almost never makes demands like these and when she does, Rukia has never been able to turn them down. She nods her head without even thinking about it.

"Alright." Rukia says. Ichigo scowls at that and Aizen notices that as well.

"I apologize if you had already made plans," Aizen tells her softly. Rukia immediately shakes her head no.

"No reason to apologize, I look forward to it." Rukia tells him sincerely.

"Our guest will only be here one more day," Shoko says next, and Rukia nods before she glances at Ichigo.

"I'm sorry, but will you open up the gym? I can call a driver for you, but I really should stay here and visit with our guest." Rukia tells Ichigo, who nods stiffly. He knows their friends will show up to use the gym.

"Of course, I'll see you later." Ichigo says before he leans down and whispers in her ear. "Call me if you need anything." Ichigo says before he turns and walks out Rukia's front door. Shoko smiles broadly. She had known Rukia would do the right thing.

"Rukia, please keep Aizen-sensei company while I go and shower." Shoko tells Rukia, who nods at her. They watch Shoko leave and Rukia looks at Aizen-sensei. She feels horrified that she can perfectly picture him without any clothes on as he's standing there dressed in front of her. The image of him naked in her bed is practically plastered in her mind now that he's in front of her.

"I hope you slept well last night." Rukia tells him nervously, causing Aizen to smile at her pink face.

"Actually I don't remember whether or not I did. I don't even remember going to bed." Aizen says with a chuckle. "Serves me right for trying to keep up with Shoko-san." Aizen tells Rukia with his eyes sparkling. He is positive she saw him naked now.

_Here it comes._

Rukia doesn't know what to say. She wants to tell him he went to the wrong room, but how should she explain her own absence from the room, since she was supposed to be in sleeping in there?

"Actually, I believe you might have mistakenly slept in the wrong room." Rukia finally says haltingly. Aizen feels his heart racing.

"I thought that might be the case when I woke up, but then I wondered if I was wrong since there was nobody in the room. That much I'm sure of." Aizen tells her as he stares at her eyes.

"The truth is that I snuck out of the house last night. I hope you don't think badly of me for it, or tell Shoko, but I did leave." Rukia finally admits. Aizen grins at her.

"As long as you don't think badly of me for getting a bit too drunk and going to the wrong room to sleep." Aizen tells her evenly.

"Of course not," Rukia tells him with a smile. She refuses to admit she saw him naked though. She would be mortified to say the words out loud. She's also relieved that he didn't give her a judgmental look when she admitted she'd snuck out.

"What a beautiful ring," Aizen tells her as he sees it sparkle on her finger. Rukia blushes and smiles hugely at him.

"Ichigo proposed to me on Christmas Day." Rukia replies as she looks happily at her finger. She raises her hand closer to Aizen's face so that he can get a better view of it too. She smiles as he studies her ring up close. He finally looks back at her.

"I was surprised when you introduced him as your fiancé, since you're so young." Aizen tells her as he looks her up and down briefly. "I didn't imagine you were even entertaining thoughts about marriage." He tells her, wondering what she'll say in response.

"I'm sixteen now, and besides, I've loved Ichigo for the longest time. Since we were children." Rukia says with a blissfully happy smile.

"Since you were children, you say?" Aizen asks curiously.

"Ever since he saved my life when I was three years old. My deranged uncle wanted to kidnap me. If I hadn't run into Ichigo when I did, I would not be here now." Rukia tells him softly.

"Now you've captured my interest, will you please tell me the full story?" Aizen asks as he sits down on the family room couch. Rukia walks over to sit next to him and she smiles nostalgically.

"When I was three years old, my uncle broke into my home. My mother got my sister and I out of the house before he could catch up to us, and my sister ran with me into the woods until she found a large brushy area to hide me in. She instructed me to stay still until I hadn't heard any noises for a long time, and then she directed me to run in the opposite direction from where she ran off to. When I finally began to move, I kept going until I couldn't move my legs anymore. I leaned up against a tree to cry, and all of a sudden an orange haired boy appeared as if from out of thin air. His father had built him a hidden tree house in the forest. He took me up into his tree house, and saved my life, since my uncle and his men actually searched right below where we actually sat hiding." Rukia explains a bit more thoroughly.

Aizen can feel his insides boiling. He concentrates very hard to make sure his inner emotions don't show at all on his face, even as his mind is working overtime.

_That was how she had gotten away? The same kid who saved her from the same men who had successfully captured his pet Momo? The same boy who helped save her when twenty men busted into their party? The same kid who made it impossible for Kira to grab up Rukia once she passed out from Gin's chloroform attack? This fucking kid has been a thorn in my side and in Gin's side from the beginning? Fuck!_

"Wow." Aizen says, careful to keep the anger out of his voice.

"It's amazing, isn't it? Not only that, but because of what happened when we were children, Ichigo spent many years becoming strong enough to be able to protect me. Every time something bad might have happened, he took care of it. Even when he was only four years old. The truth is that Ichigo kept me hidden from even his parents for quite a while before I was finally discovered. Because we had become so close, we had insisted on an Omiai. Nothing bad will ever happen so long as Ichigo is around." Rukia tells Aizen with pink cheeks and a tiny smile.

_You have got to be fucking kidding me. It's insulting…to have something as illogical as puppy love defeat my carefully thought out plans. Not tonight though._

"How shocking," Aizen says. "I hadn't expected you to say Omiai." Aizen says with widened eyes. Shoko walks into the room as he says that.

"Isn't it a romantic story?" Shoko asks him as she smiles brightly at him.

"Yes," Aizen says, even though he hates having to agree at the moment. He's not ready for his true nature to be revealed yet though.

"Would you like something to drink?" Shoko asks, since to her it sounds like his throat is dry.

"Yes, please." Aizen tell her. Rukia doesn't say much as she admires the ring on her finger as they wait for Shoko, and since she's so focused on her ring, he lets his gaze roam freely over her profile.

_She really is lovely_.

Aizen recalls the time he spent with her undergarments in her bedroom and he feels himself smiling. He imagines her wearing the panties that he rubbed on his face, and for some reason that thought really excites him.

As he looks at her, he finds it unbelievable that she was actually able to win in a struggle against Gin. She's a lot more dangerous than she actually looks, which is why he brought along his trusty syringe.

Shoko arrives in the room with sake, and Aizen is surprised when Rukia is given some too. It appears drinking laws aren't observed in this home. Shoko sees the surprise on his face and she gives him a smile. Rukia's brother can be a difficult man to explain sometimes.

"She should be okay with only one glass, don't you think?" Shoko asks him as she keeps her smile. Aizen holds up his hand.

"Don't change your regular routine on my account." Aizen says as he watches Rukia drink some of the sake as though it's normal.

"Her brother decided it would be better if she grew accustomed to sake when she turned fifteen so that she would know when she needed to stop in a group setting. He didn't want anybody to be able to get her drunk and take advantage of her." Shoko explains, and Aizen's eyes widen.

_Kuchiki Byakuya had even considered that possibility in regards to Rukia? No wonder she wasn't affected by the drinking at that party._

"I see," Aizen says as he watches Rukia take another small sip of her sake.

"It took awhile for me to get used to the taste of it, but now I'm used to it," Rukia says as she finally pulls her gaze away from her shiny ring.

_I'll fucking shit my pants if she's been given tons of drugs to build up her resistance to those too. That fucking insane Kuchiki Byakuya._

J J J J

Ichigo grumbles as he does his homework alone. He knows Rukia is expected to be a more hospitable host today, because he had noticed that rare warning tone that Shoko had used earlier with Rukia.

He's so used to spending his time with her, that he feels kind of sad and lonely with her not being with him, when normally on any other Saturday night, she would be with him. He enjoys his time the most when she's right there near him, making his life brighter all of the time.

He can't put his finger on it, but something about the professor seems off. He didn't even like being in the guy's company, he seemed a bit too full of himself as far as Ichigo had been able to discern.

He works on his homework until he starts to feel tired, and he glances across the way towards Rukia's window before he lays down. It's dark, even though he figures that she must have made it back home from dinner hours ago.

He wishes he had listened for the sound of the car returning. He can tell there are lights on downstairs in her house though, and so he yawns and pulls off his clothes, keeping on only his boxers. He flops down onto his bed and closes his eyes.

J J J J

"You're done for." Hinamori tells Rukia. Rukia backs away from the girl as her face is distorted again, and she is hovering above Rukia with her wings that resemble a bat's wings. They're standing under moonlight, in a desert-like area with nothing else in sight for miles around.

"Stop freaking me out! Can't you just appear normally?" Rukia shrieks at the girl. Hinamori sighs as she lowers herself to the ground and takes up her normal appearance.

"I hope you enjoyed your last day of freedom," Hinamori tells Rukia in a sad voice.

"Quit talking like that." Rukia tells her with a bit of a glare. "You always do that." Rukia says in an exasperated voice.

"It's because I know you've let down your guard." Hinamori tells her with a regretful shake of her head.

"No I haven't." Rukia argues.

"How could you not take the visions I have shown you seriously? How could you not constantly see that girl's face that he has now, begging you to stop him? After the promises you made me and the hope you said you were giving to her, how do you explain this betrayal?" Hinamori asks as her eyes start to turn red again.

"Stop talking in riddles!" Rukia says in a frustrated voice.

"Can you feel the emptiness around us?" Hinamori asks her as she gestures the gloomy and sandy area around them. "The sun doesn't even shine here. This is your future. Once you belong to him, don't ever expect to see the sun of daytime for the rest of your life. Don't expect to feel warm and comforted, and don't expect that there will be any kindness or compassion beyond what's necessary to keep you alive for furthered torture. Don't expect to feel even a sliver of happiness." Hinamori tells her in a foreboding voice.

"You always think I'm done for." Rukia says a bit sulkily. Hinamori sure does have a way of bringing out the misery in life.

"You're in for a rude awakening if you think you know the worst of it all. I used to think you were better off not knowing, but I think it's time you see what ideas he has in mind for you." Hinamori tells Rukia as they teleport into the chamber where Tara is at. Rukia is really surprised when Hinamori waves her hand and a second Rukia appears naked and strapped into the bed. Rukia looks at Hinamori with a bit of surprise.

"What is this?" Rukia asks in a whisper.

"If it were really you in there, I'd scare you awake before I could get a chance to show you what I want to. Watch." Hinamori says as the headless man suddenly struts naked in the room. Rukia wants to turn away, but that would defeat Hinamori's purpose.

"I'll bet you'd like it if I undid these restraints wouldn't you? Don't worry, I will. But I have a special treat for you before I do." The man says as he reveals a syringe. Rukia watches herself grow terrified on the bed and she cringes as the man sticks the needle in her.

"This drug will make it so that you can't fight me back at all." The man says with a chuckle. Both versions of Rukia wear an identical look of horror at the man's words.

"No," Rukia says to Hinamori.

"This is nothing. This is the mildest of the tortures you'll endure." Hinamori says with a voice that sounds very sure of herself.

"Now to amuse myself while I wait for the drug to take effect. You don't look frightened enough. I want you to be really terrified, that's when you look most beautiful. Your fear turns me on more than anything," He tells her before he electrocutes her. Rukia flinches, grabs her arms, and starts rubbing them quickly.

"Stop showing me. These things will never happen. Don't even put such disturbing images in my head." Rukia orders Hinamori in a harsh voice, causing the girl to glare at her before she obliges and they're suddenly back in the desert.

"I can already tell he's going to enjoy having you as much as he thinks he's going to enjoy it." Hinamori tells her with a big disappointed sigh. Rukia shakes her head furiously in response.

"It won't happen." Rukia says again, in a much harder voice.

"It's already begun." Hinamori says in a resolute voice, causing Rukia to sit straight up in bed, gasping. Her eyes dart around her bedroom, and she's actually surprised that she's all alone. The way Hinamori had been talking, Rukia was afraid she'd wake up to find her dreams were a reality. Her demeanor in the end had been reminiscent of the way she'd been the night Rukia struggled with her uncle.

Rukia jumps when she hears loud laughter coming from downstairs. She glances at the clock and is surprised to see it's only a little after midnight. She sits up and looks out the window towards Ichigo's room. The lights are off. Rukia slips out of bed and tiptoes towards the stairs to see why there's such loud laughter downstairs. Rukia feels total dread when she leans to the side and can see Shoko and Aizen-sensei sitting in view of the stairs, even though they're not currently looking her way.

Shoko laughs loudly some more and Rukia realizes she's drunk. It takes a lot to get her drunk, Rukia's never seen her this drunk, even though she knows they drank a lot the night before. Rukia's eyes widen as she realizes that Shoko is flirting with the professor. She starts inching out of their sight and she slides back into her bedroom. There's no way she can sneak down the stairs at all, with them right there.

She can't use the ladder, since she'd have to leave it hanging once she gets outside, and that would be way too noticeable.

_What to do?_

J J J J

Aizen can hardly believe the old woman is still showing no signs of tiring out.

_She's a tank_.

He had even added some sleeping powder to her last sake, and it doesn't even seem like it's taking any effect. He wants to get Rukia back to his house and in the chamber under the cover of darkness. He can't stay up all night partying with the old lady.

She's getting progressively more flirtatious the more she drinks too, and it's all Aizen can do not to cringe at her behavior. He watches as she empties her cup.

"Let me get you some more." Aizen tells her smoothly.

"You read my mind," Shoko tells him with a laugh.

"I'll be right back." Aizen tells her as he takes her cup. She smiles and leans back against the couch.

"I'll be right here," Shoko tells him. Aizen goes to the kitchen and adds a much larger amount of sleeping powder to her drink.

He hopes she starts nodding off within an hour as he brings it out to her. He watches as she accepts the cup and takes a small sip.

"I want to thank you again, for all of the hospitality that you've shown me while I was here. I'll have to leave early in the morning, and if I must leave before you wake up, I wanted to make sure I thanked you." Aizen tells her in as sincere a voice as he can give her.

"I'm the one who should thank you for taking Rukia and I out to such an extravagant dinner," Shoko responds quickly.

"It was my pleasure to take two refined ladies such as yourselves out to dinner." Aizen says as he remembers the attractive dress that little Rukia had worn.

He remembers how he told her it was supposed to be a dressy dinner, and when she'd seemed unsure, he'd offered to help her pick out something. Rukia had seemed like she was going to refuse, but he had leaned over and reminded her quietly that his bags were still in her room, and she had agreed to let him help her pick out a dress.

She had led him inside of the walk-in closet and he acted amazed at the size of it before he walked inside and started scanning her dresses. He knew what he'd been looking for, he had spotted it when he had come in earlier by himself.

He couldn't just go straight to it though, or else it would have been obvious that he had already been in there. When he acted like he'd seen it for the first time and picked it out, she'd seemed surprised by his choice. It was a strapless and simple black dress that showed off a lot of skin, but wasn't over the top.

He enjoyed the view at dinner of her bare shoulders and the way her neck was exposed.

He doesn't much like the locket though. It will be removed from her person like the rest of her clothes and that damned ring that she spends so much time staring at. He wants to wait to remove the ring until she's awake to see him do it though. He's sure that will make her cry. He's sure she has no idea how much it angers him to see her looking so happily at it, as she claims nothing bad will happen as long as she has Ichigo.

The best part was that he managed to get out of her room without taking his luggage. She seemed to have forgotten too, since she was too busy rushing to get ready. She had willingly let him slip out of her room immediately after he'd picked out her dress. What he doesn't realize though, is that Rukia had spotted his luggage still in her room and had taken it downstairs for him to the correct spare bedroom. She had done it when he had been preoccupied in discussion with Shoko.

He can hardly wait to put his plan into action, since he's sure Rukia hasn't slipped down the stairs with him and Shoko right there in sight of the stairs. He notices that Shoko has grown quieter as she nurses her drink.

"It was really generous of you to offer to give Rukia a reference for when she starts applying at universities." Shoko tells him when she pulls the cup away from her lips.

Aizen smiles at the woman. He had never anticipated that his acclaimed brilliance would be what got his foot in the door to get his hands on Rukia. It had been an unexpected surprise that her academic ambitions prompted her to respond to his congratulatory letter so long ago.

"She's a bright girl, I'm happy to do that for her. I think she should consider the Tokyo Institute of Technology in her future." Aizen tells Shoko as she finishes the drink, even as he pictures what he believes her true future should be like, in his hidden chamber. _Her future is to be naked and waiting for me, all of the time._

"Please, come shake me awake to say sayonara before you leave in the morning, I suddenly feel really tired." Shoko tells him as she stands. She sways a little bit.

"Let me assist you." Aizen tells her, not wanting her to crash to the floor, only to wake Rukia upstairs. It would be inconvenient.

"You're so kind." Shoko murmurs as he puts an arm around her and lets her direct him to her room. It seems to take forever to get her into her bed.

"Sweet dreams." Aizen tells her as he watches her close her eyes. He starts to leave the room and shuts off the light before he goes. As he's closing the door, he hears her take a long relaxing breath. Aizen smiles and goes to disable the security system. Once he does that, he sits back on the couch to wait a little while to be sure Shoko has fallen asleep.

He spends that time congratulating himself on a job well done, when the whole house seems so quiet and at ease. The only light is coming from the stairwell that leads to his target's room.

_If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself._

He lets his mind drift back to the creamy skin that he had been able to look at once Rukia had put on the dress he had selected. He rests one hand on his crotch as he imagines just how terrified she'll be when she wakes up in his underground chamber. He pulls the syringe out of his pocket and smiles as he stares towards the stairs.

_It's so close. Soon I'll have exactly what I want._

Aizen can actually feel excitement bubbling within him at the prospect of finally capturing the beautiful girl he's been longing for.

This day of waiting has been exciting in a strange way too. He'd been in Rukia's company all day until she had gone upstairs at almost ten to go to bed. He wonders if it was the sake that Shoko had been giving her throughout the day. That had certainly been unexpected.

"It's time." Aizen says softly to himself. He stands and creeps towards the stairs and begins to head up them. He cringes with each creak the stairs make from his weight, and he wonders how Rukia had been able to slip down them undetected the night before.

When he finally reaches the top of the stairs, he doesn't hesitate. Rukia's door is cracked the tiniest bit, and he pushes the door open slowly and glances around the room quickly. He steps into the room and walks over to her bed. He can see her hair but the blanket is pulled up clear to her neck. He pulls the blanket off of her very slowly so that he doesn't wake her up prematurely. His eyes widen and his breath catches in his throat as he pulls the blanket further off of her.

He's completely shocked that she's stark naked. He hadn't been expecting that, and he's not at all disappointed. The light from the hall is streaming into the room, giving him the view he's been aching to see for so very long now. He feels his breath quicken at the splendid sight of her naked and sleeping. He can't even move or proceed for a moment as he drinks in the sight of her. He takes in every inch of her perfectly ripe body.

_She's perfect. I wish I could take her right here in her own bed, but it would be too risky. _

His plan is to say he left the home early in the morning, and when he's questioned about her disappearance, he'll simply say he didn't know anything. He can't go leaving evidence of a struggle, since that is how he plans on handling it. He wants people to believe she left the house on her own and got abducted outside of her house, since it won't be completely unbelievable considering her last encounter with Gin. His reputation will also serve well in protecting him from remaining a suspect for very long, just like in the past.

Now that he's pulled the cover away though, she seems to sense the cold, and she acts like she's reaching for something, or someone. Her arm is in perfect position for him to inject her, and so he removes the protective plastic cover from the needle, and he's surprised that his hand shakes as he does. He can't take his eyes off of her beautiful exposed body and he takes a deep calming breath. He starts to reach for her.

"What are you doing?" A deep masculine voice says behind him. Aizen turns quickly and closes his hand around the syringe, and is shocked to find himself staring at the orange haired kid. The _last_ person he wants to see at the moment.

Ichigo stares angrily at the man, as he glances over to see the cover has been pulled completely off of Rukia and her naked body was exposed to the man's sight.

Ichigo had thought it was Shoko coming upstairs and he had quickly grabbed his boxers up off the floor and had flown silently into the large walk-in closet. He had quickly yanked on his boxers. After a few moments, he was aware that the footsteps hadn't gone away and he'd cracked the door in curiosity.

He's really glad Rukia convinced him to sneak over and crawl up her ladder now. He had made slow and quiet love to her and she had fallen asleep naked in his arms. Ichigo had stayed awake, and had been about to drift off into sleep when he'd heard the stairs creak. That was when he had reacted like lightning.

"I was looking for something," Aizen tells Ichigo as he realizes he's going to have to use the syringe on this kid instead of Rukia. He wants to kick himself for not bringing two syringes. There had never once been a report on him sneaking over to sleep with her.

"Nothing of yours is in that bed." Ichigo growls at the man as he feels his body pulse in anger. He wants to punch the guy, but he doesn't want Rukia to wake up exposed like that.

"That's where you're wrong." Aizen tells Ichigo softly. "I believe I might have lost my watch in this bed, when I slept in here last night." Aizen says, taking a step closer to the boy.

"You slept in here?" Ichigo asks in surprise as his eyes narrow at the man. "I don't buy that." Ichigo says furiously. "It also doesn't explain the way you just stood there staring at her when you found her naked in that bed." Ichigo says with voice that is soft and dangerous at the same time.

"It's the truth! Wake her up, she'll tell you." Aizen says as sincerely as he can. Ichigo doesn't want to wake her up while she's not covered, he's sure she wouldn't want to wake up like that, and so he keeps his eye on Aizen as he pulls the cover back over Rukia. When he's reaching out to shake her, Aizen shoves the syringe in his arm and quickly pushes the concoction into him.

"What _the fuck_?" Ichigo hisses as he pulls his arm back and decks Aizen square in the nose. Aizen crashes to the floor from the force of the hit, and Ichigo starts to walk over so that he can punch the guy again, but instead, his body pitches forward and he falls into darkness.

J J J J

Rukia's peace in her dreams is suddenly intruded on by Hinamori Momo, and Rukia senses real fear, as the girl is looking pitifully at her.

"You let your guard down again, and it will be the man you love who pays the price." Hinamori tells Rukia whose eyes widen in surprise.

"You again! Why?" Rukia asks desperately. She never dreams about Hinamori twice in the same night, because Hinamori is always suppressed by Ichigo's presence.

"I just told you." Hinamori says in an exasperated voice.

"Ichigo is very strong. That rapist would regret it if he ever ran into Ichigo." Rukia says confidently. She doesn't like the pit in her stomach as Hinamori shakes her head no.

"He wants that kid out of his way. He'll dispose of him, now that he has the upper hand." Hinamori says to Rukia as she makes her bat wings appear.

"The upper hand…what?" Rukia asks desperately.

"Say goodbye to your one true love." Hinamori says before she flies away.

Rukia wakes up in bed to see Aizen get decked by Ichigo. She doesn't exactly comprehend why she's waking up to that, and she watches with her mouth gaped open as Aizen crashes to the floor Ichigo starts towards him again.

She sits straight up when Ichigo pitches to the floor. She dives out of bed and jumps over Ichigo and runs into the closet and she puts on her short robe as quickly as she can.

She comes back out, barely covered as Aizen is regaining his feet. He looks angrily at Ichigo before he drags his gaze to where she's standing in the shadows.

"He'll have to die now." Aizen tells her as he looks her up and down. She feels a strange sensation as he does that. It's as though he can see right through her robe, and she hopes he didn't get a good view of her naked.

"That's not going to happen." Rukia informs Aizen, her words clearly dripping with ice.

"It will. After all, I can't have him telling anybody who you left here with." Aizen tells her softly. "Nobody can know that you belong to me." He says that using his most comforting voice.

"So all that time, it was _you_?" Her shock is evident. "I won't show you any mercy." Rukia warns him in a low voice as she steps over Ichigo's body and closer to him. Her eyes are completely adjusted to the light of the room and she rolls her shoulders to stretch them a tiny bit. Aizen can't help but enjoy the sight of her robe inching up a bit higher as she does that.

"I'm going to really enjoy making your life all about me." Aizen tells her with a suggestive lick of his lips.

"I know all about your sick plans. All I needed was for you to reveal your identity. You could never have me." Rukia says in a taunting voice. She's glad when he takes a step closer, and then another. _Keep coming, bitch_.

"I'm coming over there to remove that robe, and then I'm going to throw you back in that bed and then I'm going to take off all of my clothes and join you in there." Aizen tells her with a pleasant smile that really disturbs Rukia. Like she'd let him get into her bed naked while she's conscious.

Her heart thuds as he walks closer to her and time seems to slow down for her. She knows it's her adrenaline at work.

He's fairly certain that if she tries to kick him it will be between the legs or in the midsection and he keeps his eyes peeled for it and he takes another step closer.

Rukia can't help but feel a bit of nervousness at the hungry way he's looking at her as he approaches. She's glad for the robe, even if it only covers her private parts only barely. It doesn't matter if she battles him on the floor or in the bed, because she is versed in a martial arts style that will give her the advantage the moment they hit either one of those places. She had never noticed before though, just how much he towers over her, since he'd never seemed so imposing before.

When he's only about three steps from her, he suddenly speeds up and grabs the material of the robe to quickly spin her around and draw her into his arms. Her back is to his front and he reaches around quickly so that he can untie the belt.

Rukia squeals in anger as his hand touches her robe and jerks it upwards, exposing her bottom half which is momentarily pressed up against his front. At least he's still clothed and she can't feel his skin.

Instinct takes over as his hands fumble with the belt and she wishes she were wearing heels as she jams the ball of her foot as hard as she can into the top of his foot. She elbows into his side like she taught Ichigo's sisters to do, and he lets out a loud grunt of pain when she does that, but he ends up yanking the belt completely undone as he jerks it from her painful hit and jumps out of her reach.

He feels his foot throbbing in pain from her little trick and it seems both of them get to have a bit of satisfaction, since her robe is hanging open now.

"That's better," Aizen says even though his voice indicates that he's feeling the lingering pain from her foot.

"You have gotten on my bad side. Trust me, that is not where you want to be," Rukia says in a biting voice.

"I'll be where I want to soon enough. In between your legs." Aizen says as he glances at the opening in her robe again.

"We'll see about that." Rukia snaps at him. What she's experiencing in this moment is a walk in the park compared to what he actually has in mind for her. She knows that.

_I spent all of those years training to make sure a man like this would never beat me. It's do or die. For me and Ichigo._


	42. Chapter 41: Bedroom Battle

Chapter 41

_Bedroom Battle_

"I'm going to make you mine." Aizen tells her sadistically as he licks his lips excitedly. He's fairly certain the orange haired kid broke his nose with his one good punch, but he can't dwell on that now, not when Rukia is standing in front of him, partially exposed. "You're more beautiful than I even imagined." Aizen says as he stares at her breasts which are moving slightly with her heavy breathing.

_I'll take care of this bastard and I'll save you…just like you've always saved me…Ichigo!_

"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched." Rukia tells him in English. Aizen smirks at her, she sure can be clever at times.

"Why don't you do us both a favor and quit resisting. Just pull off the robe and get into bed and spread your legs open for me." Aizen tells her in a superior voice. She resists the urge to gag, and scoffs at him.

"You're so warped it's not even funny." Rukia tells him with a shake of the head. "Really, you're quite pitiful. Women everywhere should be grateful that you won't leave here tonight with your freedom." Rukia growls at him.

"I'll punish you for your insolence later. You're the type who likes to be chased, aren't you? Alright, here I come." Aizen tells her as he advances again, careful to keep his hands where he can protect his crotch. He has to keep that weapon from being injured so that he can use it on her once he captures her.

He jumps at her again and gets a hold on the material on her robe once again and Rukia anticipates his intentions clearly this time. She quickly gets a hold of his arm in between both of her hands and she starts to twist his elbow back. Aizen recognizes what she's doing almost instantly and he jerks his arm away from her with as much force as he can muster as he rubs his sore arm.

Rukia doesn't let her disappointment show that he was actually able to rip away from her hold, she hadn't expected such strength out of him. He is much stronger than she had given him credit for. She'll have to look for another opportunity.

"Does it hurt?" Rukia asks mockingly. "What makes you think you can just waltz out of this house with me in your possession anyways?" Rukia asks him angrily. "That sounds like a pretty stupid plan, coming from someone who's supposed to be smart." Rukia says, as she tries to comprehend the situation for what it really is. Aizen is happy to enlighten her. Rukia uses the time to retie her belt to her robe.

"Well before your fiancé made his appearance, my plan was to just leave with you and then tell the police that I left early in the morning and assumed you were still in your room." Aizen tells her as he sticks a hand in his pocket and pulls out a hairnet. "I was going to have you wear this and I had a blanket in my suitcase to wrap you up in while you were drugged out for the ride to your _new forever home_. I planned to willingly allow the police to search my home and car to prove my innocence." Aizen tells her easily.

"That was before. What's your plan now?" Rukia asks him suspiciously.

"Well I already told you. I'll fuck you on your bed here and now, then I'll tie you up and take you and him out to my car. I'll bury him next to my last pet and I'll keep you for a long time. Everyone will think the two of you ran off together, if you disappear together." Aizen tells her smugly. "I'll even pack a suitcase and take your purse to make it look like you left on your own." He tells her with a smile. "Shoko will stand up for me too." He tells her softly.

"You think my brother would accept such a pitiful explanation? You aren't as smart as I thought you were." Rukia tells him as she clenches her fists.

_How dare he speak so casually about killing Ichigo? For him, for Tara, for Hinamori, and any other girl he's ever hurt, I'll make him feel immense pain. _

"Where I plan to take you couldn't possibly be discovered by the police." Aizen says with aplomb.

"Your secret chamber, right?" Rukia asks him with a sneer. "Where you have Tara at, right?" Rukia asks him pointedly. Aizen's eyes widen at that question.

"Tara?" Aizen asks her with confusion.

"Yeah, the blonde American transfer student that you kidnapped. She's there, isn't she?" Rukia ask him before she sneers at him. "Oh wait, I forgot. You never asked her what her name was." Rukia tells him in an even voice.

"I'm surprised you can even know about that." Aizen tells her softly. "You'll be so much more fun than she ever was." He says as he looks her up and down again with longing showing plainly in his eyes.

"You'll never find out." Rukia says with determination. "You've gotten away with hurting enough people. No more!" Rukia says as he voice grows louder.

"I'll find out about you real soon, right here in your own bed. I can't wait to finally feel what you're like." Aizen tells her as he prepares to try and catch her again.

Rukia wishes she were dressed more appropriately for a fight, so that she could use Ichigo's trademark move, but there's no way she'll do that move with her body so exposed. It would put her crotch way too close to his face, so she won't even try it. Rukia focuses on his face as he advances closer.

The fact that she's barely clothed will probably limit what she's willing to try to beat him. She would prefer to break both of his arms before she attempts any kind of choke hold on him, for the simple fact that she's sure he's going to have wandering hands, since his objective is rape.

_I will teach him that not all girls can be preyed upon so easily._

Aizen can see her mind working a million miles a minute and he practically dives at her this time, and he reaches with his right hand for her throat. Rukia is surprised by his action and instead of her planned attack to _his_ throat, she ends up deflecting the attack to her own throat with her right hand and she grabs his left arm with her free hand as his weight flies at her.

He crashes into her and Rukia allows him to rip away his right hand from hers, as his weight comes down on top of her full force and she takes a hold of the front of his shirt. The wall is a couple of meters behind her, and as he flies at her, Rukia is able to slide her feet between them and onto his stomach as she lets her body fall into a half backwards roll. She uses her feet like a catapult and she sends him flying into the wall with a loud thud. He immediately starts to stand, though it was a painful throw. Rukia hops back up to her feet and she flies at him, jamming two fingers into his neck.

The response is instantaneous. He immediately tries to back away from her and backs into the wall as he clutches his throat. It's like his throat closed down, since he can't breathe in or out. Rukia scrambles off of the ground and flies towards him and she hops to her left foot and uses her right to deliver a powerful side kick to the side of his head.

Aizen crashes back to the floor and Rukia quickly checks to make sure her robe is still secure. It felt like it was loosening in the struggle. She decides to leave him alone a moment while she kneels down next to Ichigo to make sure he's still alive. She breathes a sigh of relief to hear him breathing, and she rushes over to her dresser and pulls out a pair of shorts. Aizen is still on the floor trying to breathe, and she quickly pulls on her shorts.

She already feels a little bit better now, since wearing the robe had restricted a lot of her kicks and moves. It still hinders her a little bit, but putting on the shorts in addition to the robe is a big improvement. She takes a deep breath and then she sees her barrette on the nightstand. She walks over, picks it up, and flips out the knife. She hears him regain his breath, panting hard as he starts to recover from her attack.

_This is going to hurt just a little bit, you sick fucking son of a bitch. It won't be much compared to what you've done to those girls, but it will be a bit of retribution. You deserve to see what it's like to be in excruciating pain._

She puts the knife in her right hand and she stomps on the back of his head very hard with the ball of her foot. He immediately moves his arms to protect his head, and he waits for the next blow, but she has already hopped towards his feet in a feathery light jump that he didn't even hear her execute.

Rukia falls to her knees and grasps his right foot in a death grip with her left hand and she slams the knife with her right hand, with all of her weight, into the top of his foot.

He lets out a pained scream as she keeps digging mercilessly into his nerve and he tries to kick her off of him, but she immediately squirms in her own position and sits on his other leg as she continues applying mind numbing pain into his foot as she attempts to stab him all the way through. She thinks of how Ichigo is laying on the ground, possibly hurt because of this guy and she adds even more pressure as she puts her weight into her hand to dig deeper.

"Now your DNA is here. Now you will have nowhere to run, and you won't be able to lie your way out of anything." Rukia taunts him in a loud and furious voice. He finally jerks his foot away from her hand and she keeps a hold of her knife. Blood starts dripping down his foot and Aizen realizes she's absolutely right.

_Where in the fuck did she get that knife from?_

When Aizen had prowled around alone in room, he had noticed no such weapon or he would have removed it already.

"You little _bitch_! You really fucking hurt me!" Aizen says angrily as his head finally starts to clear. His survival mode is switched on now, and he suddenly doesn't find it so unbelievable that she took on Gin in a fight and won.

"Ha! Is that something you really have the right to say? How much did you hurt Hinamori Momo? How much have you hurt Tara Sable? In what ways did you plan to hurt me? It's easy to stab someone who entertains the idea of electrocuting you. It was even easier to stab you after hearing you say you would kill Ichigo!" Rukia tells him icily as she grips the knife a little more tightly.

Aizen catches his breath and wonders whether or not he can overpower her without her doing something sneaky like she did last time.

Rukia suddenly remembers that she threw her cell phone in the nightstand drawer when Ichigo agreed to sneak over. She needs to call the police, but she needs to get Ichigo's father over here first, to help him.

She starts edging towards the nightstand, and Aizen watches her as she moves, since she's also a lot closer to the bed. Rukia realizes the knife could be a problem and she prepares to slide the blade in and exchange the knife for the phone as she gets next to the nightstand.

Aizen, who is pissed off from the pain she put him through, realizes she's up to something and he advances forward quickly, forgetting about caution. Rukia sees him coming but this time, as she kicks at him, he manages to dance around it and he quickly crouches down and uses an upward grabbing motion to force her body flying onto the bed. He immediately follows, and she quickly slashes at his face with the knife, cutting him across the middle of his nose. Aizen's eyes widen in horror and pain as he saw the shining blade flying straight at his face.

"Ow, god damn it!" Aizen roars after she slashes him.

Blood drops land on Rukia's chest just above where the robe ends and the skin shows. The moment her hand goes to the right, Aizen smacks the knife out of her hand and it flies up against the wall and clanks to the floor. It lands under the bed, out of both of their reach. Rukia can't hide her surprise that he was able to relieve her of the knife.

_As dangerous as she is, she's still a small woman. _

"It will be fun to tame you," Aizen says as he reaches down to rip the robe off of her. The moment his hand settles on the material over her breast, Rukia has a furious reaction, she quickly grabs his index finger and pushes it back as far as it will go, and Aizen rips his hand away with a shout.

"How will you ever have the chance to tame me when the cops are busting down your door?" Rukia snaps, as she socks him right in the jaw. Aizen feels like his brain just got rattled.

His eyes glitter angrily, and he reaches back and hits her with his open palm, across the face as hard as he possibly can. Rukia feels like her head is about to split open from the force of his hit, and he takes advantage of her dazed state and he unties the belt to her robe without interference and he pushes the material to the side. He climbs over her and crushes her legs in between his own to prevent any movement of her feet or knees.

Rukia's vision is blurry as she recovers from his brutal hit. She doesn't even feel it when he unties her robe, but she feels him push the material aside, and she shakes her head to try to get her bearings. She sees his hand, even though it's kind of blurry as it reaches for her breast.

Rukia closes her eyes tight as she quickly brings her hand up to intercept his own. Aizen's eyes widen. He was so sure he had knocked her silly with that slap, but she just grabbed his hand with a force that shocked him. Rukia allows her gut instinct to take over and she quickly uses her other hand to get a better grip.

Aizen can feel the pressure she's beginning to apply to his wrist and he jerks it away angrily.

"You little bitch! You tried to break it!" Aizen says as he snatches her wrists up and holds her arms still.

He can feel her starting to rip away from his grasp and he's astonished at the amount of strength she actually possesses. When she jerks her hand free and jabs him in the throat for a second time, he gags instantly in reaction.

Rukia sits up now that his attention is diverted and she punches towards his neck. He moves at the last second, and she catches him square in the chin.

Rukia rubs her hand from the force of the hit as he falls back and loses consciousness. She quickly scoots out of her bed where he's laying and she opens her nightstand to pull out her cell phone.

She calls Isshin first. She tells him he'll have to crawl up her ladder since she won't leave Ichigo alone with Aizen to answer the door. She notices Aizen groaning as though he's coming to. She ties her robe closed and then she prepares the ladder for Isshin to climb up.

She starts to dial the police but Aizen lunges forward and smacks the phone out of her hand, and she watches as it smacks the ground hard and the battery flies off the back, and the face comes away from the number pad. It's ruined.

"You bitch." Aizen says, when he sees the phone to her ear. He stands and shakes his head a little bit.

"Help is coming. You lose." Rukia says with apparent relief.

"It's not over yet," Aizen says in a low angry voice as he reaches for her neck. Rukia ducks under his grasp and hops back away from the window.

"It's over for you. Just accept it," Rukia says mockingly, almost perfectly imitating his earlier tone from when he'd told her to give up and get in bed and spread her legs for him. Just remembering him saying that is enough to make her see red, and she leaps into the air towards him in a flying side kick, aimed for his groin.

Even though Aizen sees it coming, he's unable to get out of the way fast enough. She finally connects with his most precious area and the pain is enough to make him think he's blacking out for an instant.

All he wants to do is make her cry for hitting him in that spot. He can't believe she's done nothing but make a fool of him for months, and in particular since she woke up from his altercation with the boy.

"You are going to pay for that." Aizen says in a pained voice, even though he straightens up and glares daggers at her.

Isshin climbs through the window and his eyes widen as it's obvious a fight has taken place in the room. He sees a man rushing at Rukia and he hops in the room quickly, but stops in his tracks when Rukia meets the rushing man with a fierce punch to the nose.

Aizen grabs his face, and then his hand shoots out at Rukia's neck. She's unable to dodge as his hand finally closes around her throat this time, but it doesn't matter, since Isshin plants one hard fist into the guy's face, causing him to release Rukia's neck.

"You tried to hurt her?" Isshin yells angrily as he tackles Aizen to the floor. Aizen's head smacks the floor pretty hard, but he doesn't lose consciousness this time. Isshin pins him to the floor.

"He did something to Ichigo!" Rukia says worriedly to Isshin.

"What did you do to my son?" Isshin asks Aizen angrily as he finally spots his son on the floor, in the shadows. Aizen doesn't answer, and Isshin looks at Rukia and gives her a small smile, which amazes her considering the situation.

"Sorry it took a minute to get over here." Isshin says apologetically as he continues to hold Aizen to the floor. "You have a bruise on your face, are you okay?" Isshin asks her with concern.

"I'm okay, despite how it looks. He broke my phone when I was trying to call the police." Rukia tells Isshin as she motions her broken phone scattered in pieces near the window.

"Hey you asshole, I asked you what you fucking did to my son!" Isshin says, his voice suddenly angry again. Aizen doesn't answer and so Isshin grabs him by his hair and starts to slam his face into the floor a few times in a row.

"I can get him to answer. Will you hold him still?" Rukia asks Isshin as she runs to the bathroom and grabs another barrette with a hidden knife.

_Pain and torture is his fetish, I wonder how he'll react when he's the one in pain._

"Sure thing!" Isshin calls back as he slams Aizen's head into the floor a few more times, with quite a bit of force behind the hits.

Rukia returns with a new blade. Isshin looks at her with a bit of surprise when her eyes glitter vengefully as she squats down near Aizen's midsection.

"Keep him from moving while I remove his pants. I'll make it totally impossible for him to ever rape another girl." Rukia says in a low and dangerous voice as Isshin's eyes get even bigger.

"It hurts just thinking about it," Isshin tells her with a visible cringe, as Rukia unbuttons Aizen's pants.

Aizen starts to struggle and squirm desperately under Isshin, but it's no use, Isshin has enough strength to keep him down throughout his struggling.

"Ha! How convenient! He didn't wear underwear!" Rukia says triumphantly as she jerks his pants down forcefully.

"I don't think I can watch this." Isshin says as his face turns completely white. He can hardly believe Rukia-chan is this angry.

"He likes to rape young women who look young in the face, but have developed bodies. He has a girl in his home right now, who he's had as a captive for months now. He killed the last girl he took, and I don't know if there have been others." Rukia tells Isshin in a hard voice.

"Oh my god." Isshin says as his eyes widen and he thinks of his own daughters."On second thought, remove everything down there." Isshin says in a hard voice.

"If only he'd tell us what he did to Ichigo." Rukia says as she sticks the tip of the knife at where his balls connect to his body, but on the underside of them. Aizen flinches and lets out a noisy gasp of fear and horror when he feels the blade up against his body.

"For your own sake, talk!" Isshin tells Aizen with big eyes. "She really wants to cut off your balls!" Isshin really doesn't want to witness a castration.

"It's a special cocktail!" Aizen grunts out as she pokes the tip of the knife in a bit deeper. "It had Demerol and Versed as its main ingredients!" Aizen tells them both.

"What is that?" Rukia asks Isshin as she purposely pushes the knife a little harder up against Aizen's nut sack.

"Versed is a very powerful drug, that is used in surgeries a lot, you don't remember what happened while you're under the effects of it. It induces temporary amnesia on the subject." Isshin tells her softly. "Demerol is usually used to treat pain, but mixed with Versed and other things, it appears it knocked him completely out." Isshin tells Rukia.

"Will Ichigo be okay?" Rukia asks as she keeps the knife at Aizen's testicles.

"I think so." Isshin tells her, hoping she'll rethink her castration plan.

"Should I cut them off or call the police?" Rukia asks Isshin very seriously. Isshin smiles at her.

"Pull his pants back up and then go call the police." Isshin tells her.

"Okay." Rukia says, as she not so gently yanks the knife away, and begins pulling up his pants. When she has them back on him, she quickly gets up and runs downstairs to call the police.

Isshin slams Aizen's head into the floor a couple more times before he asks him the question that's been on his mind since he saw Rukia's face.

"You had some big plans tonight didn't you?" Isshin asks him softly.

Aizen doesn't answer, but he does give out a pained response.

Rukia doesn't bother to check on Shoko since Aizen had mentioned her sticking up for him, Rukia is sure he didn't hurt her. She unlocks the door and opens it wide up before she runs back upstairs and into her closet to wear something more appropriate for when the police arrive.

Rukia comes back out in a dress that covers her much better than the robe did, and when she looks at Aizen pinned under Isshin, she notices that blood is on the floor around his head. She nods her head in satisfaction.

_I'll never feel sorry for you._

When the police pound on the door, Rukia leaves Aizen to Isshin and she dashes downstairs to let them in. They all look surprised at the condition she's in, since it's obvious she's been in an altercation.

"The man upstairs had every intention of making me into his sex slave. He even told me that he already has a girl in a hidden room in his home." Rukia tells them immediately.

She already knows it will be a long night.

J J J J

Isshin had carried Ichigo over to the clinic and had put him in bed. Ichigo had apparently been shot up with Demerol and Versed, whether or not there was anything else in the concoction is unknown, but Ichigo is completely out.

After the police finally left, Rukia had showered to get Aizen's blood off of her and she had gone next door to sit with Ichigo.

"If you hadn't been there, I might not have woken up in time, and he would have gotten me into his horrible chamber. You saved me and kept him from making me unable to fight back." Rukia says softly to him as he lays there. "It's only because of you that I was given a fighting chance." Rukia admits softly.

The Karakura Town police had assured Rukia that they would contact the Tokyo police to have his home searched, and Rukia had insisted the room was very well hidden, and she proceeded to describe the area that the room leads off of, as she had seen it in her dream.

Aizen's eyes had widened at the amount of detail she had given the police, and his mouth had gaped open when she declared at the end, that Aizen himself had shared that information with her before he got his ass kicked.

"Don't worry overmuch, Ichigo will probably wake up soon." Isshin tells her. The time they had spent talking to the police had been time consuming.

"I hope Tara is okay." Rukia tells Isshin with worry. "I worry she will never get over what that psycho did to her while she was kept captive in his home." Rukia tells Isshin sadly.

"I can't believe he told you all of that." Isshin tells her with wide eyes. Rukia blushes.

"He didn't actually tell me that, I've been having these disturbing dreams, and when I dreamed of the girl he's currently holding captive, I found out she was an American transfer student who went missing a few months ago. I confronted him about it and he didn't deny it." Rukia tells Isshin, though she's embarrassed.

"You never cease to amaze me!" Isshin says in awe, wondering if she's a bit strange to have such faith in a mere dream.

_She dreamed about such a twisted reality?_

"I'm nothing without Ichigo. If it weren't for him, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly tonight. It's because of him that I didn't get injected with that mixture." Rukia tells Isshin softly.

"He wouldn't want it any other way." Isshin tells her with a soft smile, and he looks back at his son.

_You make me so proud._

"I know, but I still hate that this only happened to him because of me." Rukia whispers with tears filling her eyes. Isshin looks back at her to see her looking back up at him with insecurity all about her features. Ichigo can hear the aching quality of her voice and he starts to open his eyes.

"He also only found happiness again in life, because of you. Don't ever underestimate your worth in his eyes, you are his world." Isshin tells Rukia comfortingly.

"I'm the only one who is supposed to tell her that," Ichigo mutters groggily as he looks at Rukia who spins around and leans down to kiss him instantly.

"Ichigo!" Rukia says with relief. As she pulls away, she sees his eyes widen and his hand comes up to gently catch her chin.

"He hit you?" Ichigo whispers guiltily.

"He only got one good hit in, I hit him way more times than he hit me." Rukia tells him with anxiously as she studies his face for any sign of a peculiar effect from the drug.

"Where is he? I'll kill him." Ichigo growls angrily.

"He's headed to jail. He'll probably hang like my uncle." Rukia tells Ichigo with a smile. Isshin grins at the pair. Ichigo is looking at Rukia with such a tender and caring look in his eyes.

"You took care of him then?" Ichigo says with a smile playing at his lips.

"She was ferocious!" Isshin says with a smile before he walks out of the room.

"I was pretty upset when he threatened to kill you and bury you with Hinamori Momo." Rukia tells him softly. Ichigo chuckles.

"You fucked him up, didn't you?" Ichigo asks with a look of total appreciation in his eyes. Rukia's blush is all the answer he needs, and he grabs her by the waist and pulls her into the recovery bed with him.

"Um…" Rukia says, still red faced.

"Have I told you before how absolutely perfect you are? In every way you are the absolute best." Ichigo tells her softly before he kisses her ear. "I love you Rukia." Ichigo whispers into her ear as he holds her close.

_I came so close to losing her. I don't even want to let her out of my sight._

"I love you too, Ichigo. You know I do, with all my heart." Rukia tells him as she feels so emotional from the night's events.

"I'm so glad that you're okay, and that you're still here with me." Ichigo tells her softly.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you a long time ago, when you had suspicions about him." Rukia tells him softly.

"What did your brother say about all of this?" Ichigo asks her, causing her to pull away from him and put her hand against her mouth.

"I haven't called him. Aizen-sensei broke my phone." Rukia says. "Plus I was too worried about you to even think of calling him." Rukia admits.

"Then you should call him now. Even though it's the middle of the night, still call him." Ichigo tells her softly. "Go get my phone, it's upstairs on my desk." He tells her quietly.

Rukia gets out of the bed, nods, and leans over to kiss him again. She savors the feeling of his lips against hers before she finally pulls away and sprints out of the room and towards his room.

J J J J

Byakuya hangs up the phone and takes a deep breath to calm his nerves. Once again Rukia was attacked, except this time she's very confident that the attempts will end now that the professor has been apprehended.

Byakuya can hardly believe the prestigious professor was the one behind all of the attempts all along, but he suddenly has a very clear flashback of the past.

_The man that the police had found on the Kanzaki property, and they had told him that the man was a mentally unstable relative of a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. They had also told him that they doubted Gin would be hanging around one of the most prestigious institutes in Japan_.

At the time, Byakuya had been inclined to agree. Now as he looks back, he feels like he could have prevented a lot of Rukia's troubles if he had hired an investigator to follow the professor who was the only connection between the man who had been caught and Gin.

_In hindsight, vision is always twenty-twenty_.

"She's done it again Hisana," Byakuya says softly, even though he's not by her shrine. "It's because of your insistence that she learn her father's martial arts style that she is safe and sound. You did a very good job in protecting your sister, I'm sure your mother is very proud of you." Byakuya says as tears form in his eyes. They always do whenever he feels like Hisana is listening to him talk. He isn't embarrassed, and he doesn't try to wipe them away. Even after all these years, he loves her just as much as he did when she was alive.

J J J J

The hardest part of the next day for Rukia, is telling Shoko how Rukia's face got to be black and blue. When Rukia had finally come home in the morning, with Ichigo at her side, Shoko hadn't been awake yet.

Ichigo wanted to see the condition of Rukia's bedroom. They had gone upstairs, and Ichigo had clenched his fists angrily at the evidence that a fierce struggle had taken place while he was out like a light on the floor.

"It's miraculous that you're not more seriously hurt," Ichigo says as he pulls her into his arms to hug her close.

"It's because of you that I wasn't more seriously hurt." Rukia tells him softly.

Ichigo looks down at her, and he can feel the anger that has built up at having to look at the painful looking bruise that the bastard left on her face. She hasn't even slept a wink since she was woken up by the pervert's attack. Ichigo looks into her eyes and he takes a deep breath.

"I wonder if she'll visit you again," He tells her softly.

"I don't know." Rukia says softly. The phone downstairs rings, and both of them jump. Rukia dashes downstairs to answer it, and Ichigo follows, watching her talk.

"Good morning," Shoko says to Ichigo as she walks into the room. Rukia's back is to the old woman, and so she doesn't see the black and blue bruise on Rukia's face yet. She pours herself a cup of tea.

"If you can wait for one week, you can have an interview with _both _of the people responsible for bringing his true nature to light….thanks." Rukia says, catching both Ichigo and Shoko's attention. Rukia turns around to face them and Shoko drops her cup. It breaks into several large pieces around her feet, but Shoko doesn't even seem to notice.

"Dear lord, what happened to you?" Shoko asks wide eyed.

"I was attacked again. Last night." Rukia answers her softly. Ichigo walks behind Rukia and puts his hands on her shoulders to offer her silent support.

"What do you mean? How?" Shoko asks, flabbergasted.

"Aizen-sensei had an ulterior motive in befriending me, it seems. It was his plan to turn me into his submissive captive, and he wanted me to live only to fulfill his sick and twisted desires." Rukia says as she looks down at the floor.

Shoko's hands come to her face in shock.

"No! Not Aizen-sensei, he's a kind and generous man!" Shoko says, shaking her head. This annoys Ichigo. He takes one hand off of Rukia's shoulders to point out the lasting marks of Aizen's attack.

"Does this look like it was done kindly and generously?" Ichigo asks her with quite a glare. Shoko's eyes widen, and then several tears fall down an instant later.

"I'm so sorry! I-" Shoko hurries out of the room as tears fall endlessly from her eyes.

Rukia had sighed.

"You didn't have to be so mean to her, she's a kind and gentle old woman." Rukia chastises him softly, as she turns around to face him.

"She had to open her eyes to see the truth. She'll get over it." Ichigo says with confidence. "More importantly, what was that phone call about?" Ichigo asks Rukia with a lot of curiosity.

"We're going to do an interview on TV! It seems the story is already huge news!" Rukia tells him with a big smile. The blood drains from Ichigo's face.

"What?" He asks, in complete shock.

"I figure everyone should know there was more than one hero in all of this." Rukia tells him softly. She pulls him into her arms.

_My hero!_


	43. Chapter 42: Reactions

Chapter 42

_Reactions_

"Ichigo, that was my brother on the phone. He has gotten us excused from class for the week. He says he wants the both of us to go stay at the mansion in the city with him. I wonder if we shouldn't let Tatsuki have a key to the gym while we're gone." Rukia tells Ichigo all in one breath before she looks at him for his response.

"Why do we have to go there?" Ichigo asks her with almost a pout.

"Because reporters are about to be swarming around here, and my face is kind of a mess from the fight last night. I won't go without you, and ni-sama said I have to go. That means you have to go too." She tells him as she looks up at him. Ichigo can't say no to her when she's like that.

"So basically, we have to leave immediately." Ichigo says with a sigh.

"We have to hurry. Now that one cop leaked the news, there will probably be reporters here anytime. I'm honestly surprised that they haven't shown up yet. We're taking a car, just outside of town, and then we'll move to the limousine. Can you get packed in five minutes?" Rukia asks him in a rush.

"I guess so…for you." Ichigo says a bit sullenly. It's not his idea of a good week to be stuck in the same house with her uptight, stick up the butt brother.

"Thank you!" Rukia says with a big smile. She rushes into her closet and yells at him as she does. "You'd better hurry! Meet me in the car in five minutes!" Rukia tells him. She quickly sticks an armload of dresses into one suitcase, and when she steps into her room, she remembers that Aizen spent the night in her bed, the night before last.

She walks over to her dresser and she gets the chills as she opens her drawer. She shuts the drawer without taking anything. She goes back into her closet and digs for the new clothes that she usually takes her time in putting away. She finds her stash of brand new underwear and she smiles as she puts them in her suitcase. She runs to the bathroom and grabs her toothbrush, a few of her trusty barrettes, her hairbrush, a few other toiletries, and then she dashes back into her room and opens up her underwear drawer again.

Rukia gets that distinct disturbing feeling again, and she's sure that Aizen went through her undergarments. She hates the feeling she gets and so she pulls the drawer out of the dresser completely and empties the entire drawer into her trashcan. She immediately feels better. She puts on a big hat and sunglasses so that her bruised face isn't so visible.

She rushes around to grab a few more things before she drags her suitcase and two bags downstairs. She also has her purse across her shoulders. Ichigo is out there sticking his luggage in the trunk and he sees her open the door. He rushes over to her and takes all of her things, except for her purse from her.

"Go sit in the car, I'll load your luggage into the car." He tells her. He glances around nervously. He had spotted a couple of unfamiliar cars and vans drive by very slowly in the past couple of minutes.

"Okay," Rukia says lightly as she briskly walks over to the car to get inside. Ichigo quickly gets her stuff into the car and hops in with her.

"I think they're looking for you." Ichigo tells her nervously. "I saw a suspicious looking van go by, but usually the news has advertisements all over their vehicles."

"Don't worry about it, we're leaving here anyways. Shoko will stay behind though. She feels really badly for being so friendly with the professor. I told her not to worry about it, since I was friendly with him too." Rukia tells Ichigo.

"Weird that when we get back, we'll be doing an interview for television." Ichigo says with a strange look on his face.

"I think it will be fun, since we'll be doing it together," Rukia tells him with a grin.

"You could be right." Ichigo says, smiling back at her.

They both get a bit lost in thought due to all of the recent happenings in under a year since they've reunited. Both of them feel surprised that they aren't more affected by all of the events like most people would be. They both find so much strength in each other, and these seemingly traumatic events end up being relegated to nothing more than an overly dramatic day.

It's not long before they reach the destination and switch from the car to the limousine. Ichigo takes charge with moving the luggage from the car to the limo as Rukia quickly slips out of the car and into the limo.

Ichigo had noticed right away that the windows were tinted really dark on the limo. He hurries to finish so that he can join Rukia. When he gets inside, he notices that she's positioned herself out of the driver's vision, and Ichigo sits next to her, also out of view of the driver.

"We're ready to go." Rukia tells the driver before she slides the privacy window shut. She yanks off her hat and sunglasses and takes a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo asks her with concern. Rukia blushes.

"It's incredibly embarrassing to have my face messed up from a fight. I worry people will assume that you did it to me." Rukia admits in a small voice.

"Oh." Ichigo says, understanding completely. A lot of people look at him and assume the worst, but they're only ever right when they're pieces of shit who deserve to feel the power of the punch he packs.

"I know I'm not beautiful when the side of my face is all bruised like this." Rukia tells him with her eyes looking away from him. She can see the look on his face every time he focuses on the bruise.

"You're always beautiful. It pisses me off that I passed out instead of beating him into a lifeless pulp when I ran into him in the bedroom." Ichigo says, his voice low with fury.

"I'm glad you punched him. It gave me time to put on a robe so that I could confront him." Rukia tells Ichigo who lets out a large sigh of relief.

"I didn't want to have to ask you that, I'm glad you told me. I knew you were naked under those covers when I jumped out of your bed to hide. It bothered me when the footsteps I heard didn't go away. I peeked out to find him staring at you with the cover pulled completely back. I confronted him, and he swore that he slept in your bed two nights ago and lost his watch there." Ichigo tells Rukia, who blushes.

"He and Shoko drank a lot and he went to my room to sleep. I was in your room though." Rukia reminds Ichigo, and he lets out a large sigh.

"He was in your room to abduct you, both times. I'm sure of it." Ichigo tells her with certainty.

"I think you're probably right." Rukia tells him softly. "It seems like all of his and my uncle's plans were all foiled by you in one way or another." Rukia tells him with a grateful smile.

"I have no problems with that," Ichigo tells her with a smile.

"He should have listened to me." Rukia says with a small grin as she looks at her engagement ring.

"What?" Ichigo asks her with a lifted eyebrow.

"I told him nothing bad could ever happen to me as long as you were around." Rukia tells Ichigo softly.

He pulls her close to kiss her.

"You make me happier than I can even describe," Ichigo tells her against her lips before he kisses her again.

J J J J

When they arrive at the same mansion they had their Miai at, they're surprised to find Byakuya isn't there.

The servant who opened the door upon their arrival didn't notice Rukia's bruise until she removed the glasses upon entering. She gasped, but didn't say anything when she saw the condition of Rukia's face.

The servant quickly gained her composure and informed them when they walked in that Byakuya had been called into a last minute emergency meeting, and that he'll be back at the mansion as soon as possible.

"I'll show Ichigo to his room," Rukia tells the woman, who nods, but it appears she has more to say.

"There have been instructions left for you on the counter, once you show him to his room." The servant tells her before she walks out of the room and towards the kitchen. Ichigo and Rukia exchange confused glances.

"Instructions?" Ichigo asks Rukia in confusion.

"We'll find out, after I take you to your room." Rukia tells him.

Ichigo is surprised when she leads him into the same wing that she and her brother had slept in when his family had visited here. He gives her a quick glance when he realizes he's not being taken to the same room he had been in previously.

"Is this going to be okay?" Ichigo asks her nervously. Somehow he doesn't think Byakuya would much appreciate Ichigo being so near to Rukia in his own home as long as they aren't married.

"Don't worry so much," Rukia tells him with a grin, as she leads him to the room directly next to the one she sleeps in.

"I can't help it, since you don't worry enough," Ichigo tells her with a nervous gulp. He's supposed to be here with her for an entire week, he doesn't really want to piss Byakuya off on the first day.

"I'm not worried about it, I sleep a lot better when I'm close to you, and I don't want you on the opposite side of the mansion from me." Rukia tells him softly. "I think my brother will understand, considering he and my sister were married a half a year after they met." Rukia tells Ichigo as he admires the large and luxurious room. It's much different from the last room he had when he stayed here.

"We're not married," Ichigo points out nervously.

"Yet." Rukia adds with a smile. Ichigo grins back at her.

"I just don't want to piss him off on the first day here," Ichigo finally admits to her. Rukia knows he means well, but she knows she can handle her brother. She'd be the one he'd come to if he had a problem anyways.

"I'll talk to ni-sama. He would come to me since I'm the one who gave you this room," Rukia tells him with a sure smile.

"If you're sure about it…" Ichigo says as he looks around at the lavish room. It's done in a black and beige décor, and it looks really comfortable and relaxing.

"I'm sure. The bathroom is directly across the hall from our rooms." Rukia tells him as she watches him walk further into the room and set down his things.

"Want to go check out those mysterious instructions?" Ichigo asks her as he turns around to face her.

"Yeah." Rukia tells him, and they hold hands as she guides him to the kitchen counter. Ichigo looks around, it's a huge kitchen, and very extravagant.

_Rukia,_

_I recorded the news story that was done in regards to what happened with the professor. I want you and Ichigo to watch it, and when I get back to the mansion, the three of us will have a discussion._

_Byakuya_

"I want to see it." Ichigo says instantly. Rukia nods.

"Me too." She tells him.

Rukia and Ichigo end up watching the news story, transfixed. Rukia had been right on the money about the girl from America, even though there were no pictures of her, the police had protected her well upon discovering her on the verge of death in Aizen's hidden underground chamber.

The news woman's voice is very compelling, and both Ichigo and Rukia give each other a look of shock when the woman reveals that the professor's next planned victim was the one who had led the police to the discovery of the American girl that he had abducted. Rukia and Ichigo both were a bit horrified at how briefly they talked about the abducted girl to focus on Rukia, the girl who was his next planned victim.

A picture of Rukia from her last gymnastics competition is flashed across the screen as they go into a brief synopsis of her life. They talked about how a sixteen year old Japanese girl brought light to the professor's secret life. They even flashed a picture of Hisana and Byakuya at their wedding from so many years ago when they described her childhood. It was revealed that her mother had been killed by one of Aizen's cohorts, and that Rukia had ended up being raised by her sister and her husband until her sister died.

Rukia feels a little bit annoyed at how much detail they went into. They reveal that she's a martial arts expert, though they call it ju-jitsu rather than what she really knows. They also talk about her gymnastics achievements, and the fact that she started school a year earlier. Rukia's intelligence when she was a child was way ahead of normal children.

They don't reveal her engaged status, which Rukia is actually grateful for, everyone will learn that when she and Ichigo go to do the interview.

Then they talk about the blind man who was apprehended when the police went to Aizen's home. They don't reveal that he took part in Tara's abuse, but they do say that he was knowledgeable about what was going on within the household.

Then the bomb drops. They talk about how the police discovered tapes of two other girls who were listed as missing. They mention Hinamori Momo, and Rukia feels sick to her stomach that the girl's family is learning what really happened to their daughter. They also bring up a new girl, that Rukia had not known about.

A sixteen year old girl named Watanabe Aya. She had similar features to Rukia, but her hair was much shorter, and her eyes were smaller than Rukia's and her eyes were brown. She was very petite looking, and she looked very innocent. Rukia feels bile in her throat as she looks at the girl she never knew about.

"I wonder how many there actually were," Rukia says sadly. Ichigo puts his arm around her.

"At least he's been stopped." Ichigo tells her with a sympathetic look.

The news woman then talks about how it's an outrage that young girls were being targeted and that the offender certainly should be put to death to make society a better place for all Japanese citizens.

When the program finally ends, Rukia feels relieved that the blind man was also apprehended, and she hopes he's shown as little mercy as Aizen appears to be getting. Nobody is focusing on his brilliant mind now that he's been taken down by a sixteen year old girl.

Rukia takes Ichigo out to a second building with an indoor pool when Byakuya isn't home after they watch the video, and Rukia forgets about the bruise on her face as she plays in the water with Ichigo. He keeps swimming around her like a shark and then he grabs her up and kisses her .

Rukia tells him she wants to play Marco Polo, and Ichigo gives her a strange look.

"It's a game I learned in America, even though you're supposed to have more than two people. We should play it with Renji, Tatsuki, Sado, and Michiru at the gym when we get back to Karakura Town." Rukia tells him with a grin.

"Michiru hasn't ever come to the gym before," Ichigo tells her with a smile.

"We're going to have a pool party when we get back. We'll invite everyone, and we'll definitely play Marco Polo then. You should get some practice. Here's how it works. You close your eyes and you say Marco. I try to get away from you as I say Polo, so that you get the general direction of where I am. When you catch someone, it's their turn to be the one who closes their eyes and calls out Marco." Rukia tells him with a grin.

"I'll play it with you." Ichigo tells her as he closes his eyes.

"No peeking!" Rukia tells him with a grin. "Wait ten seconds to start!" Rukia tells him as she swims a little further away from him.

After playing the game with her for fifteen minutes, he decides he doesn't like the idea of playing with other people.

"Keigo and Chizuru will _love_ this game," Ichigo tells her, giving her a pointed look after he grabs her breast while trying to catch her. Rukia laughs.

"You might be right. Those two might be too immature to be allowed to play." She tells him with a smile. "We'll ban them from the game." She tells him with a nod. Ichigo grins at her. He does think it's a fun game, and he loves to catch her and hear her squeal happily as he does.

"I don't want anybody besides me catching you." Ichigo tells her as he leans down to kiss her. Rukia kisses him back and runs her hands over his tight and sexy little butt as the water splashes around their bodies.

"I don't know if you're sweet or just possessive, but I don't mind." Rukia tells him as she shivers from his words and kiss.

"I'm both." Ichigo informs her as he kisses her again. "You never know when I'm going to get you," Ichigo says in a suggestive tone as he runs his hand up and down her side.

"No girl should be afraid of you," Rukia tells him as she splashes water in his face.

"Unless she's trying to hurt you," Ichigo says pointedly.

"You would hurt a girl for me?" Rukia says in surprise. Ichigo rolls his eyes.

"I would interfere if a girl tried to hurt you and you were in no position to be fighting." Ichigo tells her without any hesitation. Rukia smiles up at him, she has no doubts that he's being completely honest when he says that.

A servant appears and Rukia and Ichigo quickly pull away from each other and blush as they give the woman their full attention.

"Your brother has arrived home," the woman says before she gives a small bow and heads away as though she never saw them in a tight embrace in the pool.

"At least he was gone awhile," Ichigo mutters before he swims to the edge and climbs out of the pool. Rukia swims over to the entrance steps and walks out. Ichigo is waiting for her outside of the pool with a towel.

"We should hurry to get dressed, he doesn't really like being kept waiting." Rukia tells Ichigo as she wraps the towel around her body and hurries out of the pool house and towards the mansion. Ichigo follows her and they quickly go to put on clothes.

They meet Byakuya in the parlor and they both sit down after Rukia bows to her brother. He immediately sits up when he sees the bruise on her face.

"I have brought you both here to discuss my concerns about your safety." Byakuya tells them, causing them both to give him a look of confusion. "I didn't realize that you had gotten hurt." Byakuya says as he eyes the bruise on her face.

"He only hit me one time. I'm okay, ni-sama. Is there really a reason to still be so concerned?" Rukia asks Byakuya as she just doesn't understand why he's acting like there's still a threat.

"There's no present danger, at this particular moment that I'm aware of, but that doesn't mean that couldn't change at any second," Byakuya says with a bit of a sigh.

"What exactly are you getting at?" Ichigo asks him suspiciously.

"Well the truth is that we don't know for sure that the two of you are safe. We have no idea if Aizen Sousuke made any kind of back-up plan in case he failed in his abduction of you. He could have taken out a contract on your life." Byakuya tells her with a look of seriousness about his face.

"A contract on my life? What are you saying?" Rukia asks him in confusion. Ichigo glares at Byakuya.

"He's saying that bastard could have paid someone to come kill you if he failed in catching you." Ichigo says in a hard voice.

"Let them come, we'll take them on and beat them one after another!" Rukia says in an angry tone.

"An assassin would come armed with a weapon." Byakuya tells Rukia quietly. "He would likely be experienced in murder as well as proficient at it." Byakuya adds.

"I've faced weapons before," Ichigo tells Byakuya in a hard voice.

"I remember how you acted when you learned Rukia's uncle might come after your sisters. I understand why you wanted to teach your sisters self-defense techniques, and now the time has come for the two of you to spend the week training in weapons with me." Byakuya tells them both, causing them to stare at him in surprise.

"Ni-sama, we can't just walk around with weapons, we'd get arrested!" Rukia tells him with a look of horror.

"You already walk around with weapons," Ichigo points out, causing Byakuya to give Rukia a questioning look. He looks back and forth between the pair as Rukia squirms.

"What weapons?" Byakuya asks her.

"Ichigo bought me barrettes that have a hidden blade on them." Rukia tells Byakuya hesitantly. "I cut Aizen across the face when he attacked me in my bedroom. I also stabbed him in his foot." Rukia tells him.

"That's a good start. Do you wear them regularly?" Byakuya asks her curiously.

"Everyday I wear them." Rukia answers immediately.

"I just wanted to warn the two of you that you'll be learning to be a bit more proficient with weapons. Even if you aren't carrying your own weapon around, the opportunity could come for you to take someone else's weapon, and if that happens, it would be useful if you understood exactly how to wield weapons to be more effective." Byakuya explains in a voice that leaves no room for argument.

"Sounds interesting." Ichigo says, staring Byakuya straight in the eyes.

"Alright, if you insist." Rukia says with a sigh.

She had always preferred to use her own two hands to win in a fight, but now there is a possibility that an assassin will come after her and Ichigo, and it's time to learn new techniques to preserve their own lives.

"Good. Now please go and get these barrettes. I'd like to see them." Byakuya tells her in a straight voice. Rukia stands and leaves the room. Ichigo just keeps glaring at Byakuya.

"Is there something you're not telling us?" Ichigo asks him suspiciously.

"I don't have any evidence to support that someone will come after Rukia, but the professor was quite well known for having a very brilliant mind. It wouldn't surprise me if he arranged for Rukia to die in the event he was unsuccessful in capturing her and was incarcerated." Byakuya says logically.

"I can understand why you would come to that conclusion," Ichigo admits with a bit of frustration.

"Yes, well I'd rather be safe than to be sorry. I also want you to remember to stay on your guard. I know how much time you and Rukia spend together, and your safety is just as much in danger as hers in as long as you're together." Byakuya tells him.

"We'll always be together." Ichigo tells him determinedly.

"I believe you." Byakuya says softly before he sighs. "I know I've always had my doubts, but since you and Rukia have reunited, even I can see that you love each other as deeply as Hisana and I loved one another. I fully accept your union with my sister, and I think that ring looks really beautiful on her." Byakuya tells Ichigo candidly.

"Really?" Ichigo asks with obvious surprise.

"He wouldn't lie about something like that," Rukia says as she enters the room. Ichigo glances up at her, since he hadn't seen her appear at the doorway.

She has several different colored barrettes in her hand and she walks over to her brother and hands him one. She holds another and shows him how adept she is at pulling out the blade quickly.

Byakuya holds out his hand for the knife she just opened and he begins to inspect it.

"This isn't half bad," Byakuya says with a bit of surprise. "It's sturdy, it looks durable, and the blade itself is actually a decent quality for this type of weapon." Byakuya says as he stares at the barrette.

"Ichigo took me to get them, back on the day we went to the party that got attacked. I also didn't feel as though the barrettes were useless, I slashed Aizen across his nose and I used another to threaten to cut off his balls if he didn't tell me what he injected Ichigo with." Rukia tells him. She hears Ichigo's quick inhaled breath.

"You did that?" Ichigo asks her in surprise. Rukia turns around and grins.

"I put the blade up against his bare skin down there when I made my threat." Rukia tells Ichigo with a smile.

"You shouldn't talk like that." Byakuya says absentmindedly. "Show me how you hold the blade." He tells her next. Rukia grips it tight in her hand and shows him how she held it when fighting.

"I tried to make sure I had a good grip so that I could try to get a deep cut in. When I used it on his foot I used it more as a screwdriver as I continuously tried to push the blade into his foot." Rukia explains.

"You have pretty good instincts, you should always want to keep a tight grip, but with a knife like this, you'd also want to make upward slashes, they'd be more effective." Byakuya tells her as he appreciates the handiness of the weapons that Ichigo had apparently directed her to get.

"It all worked out alright in the end, thankfully." Rukia tells her brother with a small sigh of relief.

"How many pairs of barrettes do you have?" Byakuya asks her curiously.

"I have every color that I typically wear, and silver for if I'm wearing a color I don't usually wear." Rukia tells him quickly.

"We'll be going to the dojo in the city tomorrow to begin. Make sure you get plenty of rest tonight. Unfortunately, I must leave." Byakuya tells her softly.

"Ichigo is in the room next to me." Rukia tells him, straight out.

"I trust you wouldn't do anything that I would find disrespectful in my home." Byakuya says to Ichigo with a warning note.

"Of course not," Ichigo says quickly.

_I don't include the pool house with that answer. I can't behave myself whenever I see her in a skimpy bikini._

"Don't worry ni-sama, we won't do anything that you and my sister didn't do before you got married and you stayed in the same house." Rukia says with a bit of attitude.

Ichigo and Rukia both look shocked as Byakuya blushes, a sight Rukia is sure she's _never_ seen before.

"The driver will be here at ten in the morning to pick you up." Byakuya says as he stands.

"We'll be ready to leave when he gets here." Rukia tells Byakuya softly.

"See you later." Ichigo says to Byakuya.

"Bye, ni-sama." Rukia says to him.

"Bye." Byakuya says before he swiftly leaves the room.

"Damn." Ichigo breathes softly as her brother disappears.

"We're going to be doing weapons training! Is it wrong for me to be really excited about that?" Rukia asks Ichigo with her eyes shining happily.

"Nah, I'd be surprised if you weren't excited. I'm kind of excited about it too." Ichigo tells her with a grin. Rukia walks over and plops herself right on his lap.

"I'm always excited to be doing new things with you." Rukia tells him as she leans over and presses a kiss up against his neck.

"Don't do that, you're going to get me all worked up," Ichigo murmurs as she lets her tongue slide out onto his neck.

"Don't stop me, I'm having fun." Rukia tells him softly against his neck as she sucks his neck for just a moment before she goes back to kissing it.

"You are a troublemaker Ichigo says under his breath, even as he moves his head to allow her better access.

"I wouldn't want you to start getting bored." Rukia says as she moves her tongue lightly across his neck.

"I could never get bored of you, being with you definitely keeps me on my toes." Ichigo tells her softly and Rukia lets out a little giggle at that remark.

"We should go upstairs." Rukia tells him softly.

"You're insane. I don't want to get caught after I just told your brother I'd respect his home." Ichigo tells her as he squirms a little from the way her breath is tickling him.

"That just makes it more exciting," Rukia says, grinning at the way he's so obviously trying to resist her. He's failing terribly, she can tell he's ready to crack. It makes her feel good to know she affects him so much without even having to try very hard to do so.

She finally decides to have mercy on him and she takes him to the kitchen so that they can have some sandwiches.

J J J J

Toushirou hasn't been able to stop crying. When his sister's face showed up as one of the professor's victims, he'd already known the truth, since the police had contacted his family before he news story had come out. They had even found video of the girl's death. It would certainly send the man to his death, but it does nothing to ease the pain in his heart.

His sister had been raped, tortured, and then killed. They hadn't known anything in over two years. When Momo disappeared, they had all kept hope alive that they'd one day see her again. Now they find out that she had been abducted by a serial rapist, who didn't mind if his treatment killed his victims. Two girls for sure have died under his care, and a third girl would have been dead very soon if she hadn't been found when the police found her.

It's bittersweet to know that another young girl was the one to bring him down in his attempt to abduct her. He just can't stop crying though. He had been pretty mean to his sister on the last day that he'd seen her, and he wishes he'd been nicer to her. To know that such a sick person got a hold of his sister and tortured her until he killed her, is a bit too much to handle.

His parents had taken the news pretty hard, and he doesn't know if any of them will ever get over knowing the truth about what happened to Momo when she disappeared.

J J J J

Tara is in the hospital, hooked up to an IV, and she's sleeping when her parents arrive after the long flight to Japan. Her parents are both light haired, and Tara used to resemble her mother quite a bit. They barely recognize the girl in the bed with the sunken in cheeks, and various bruises and scars on her body that hadn't been there before her trip to Japan.

"My god, is she even alive?" Tara's mother asks her husband.

"Don't be like that, Deborah." Tara's father says to his wife. "God only knows what she's been through these past few months. We're lucky she's still alive." He says softly, feeling a huge amount of anger over what's been done to his daughter.

"I don't know Jeff, I'd rather be killed than to be tortured for months. She's going to need therapy for the rest of her life after going through such a horrendous traumatic experience. I doubt she'll ever be the same girl we remember her being before she left all excited for the exchange program here." Deborah says to her husband.

"I'm glad she's alive." Jeff says as he gives his wife a glare.

"But even you know you would prefer death over months of torture. She's just a child for heaven's sake! How is she supposed to get over this?" She asks her husband.

"Well for one thing, you can stop acting like it's impossible to recover from it. What will you do for her confidence if you keep talking like that in front of her?" Jeff asks his wife in an angry tone. "Tara has always responded better to positive reinforcement rather than negative reinforcement. If you keep telling her she can't get over it, she might start believing you." Jeff says as he gives his wife a look that clearly says shut the fuck up.

"I can't even tell if she's alive or dead. I hope the man that did this, really suffers." Deborah says with a sob.

"The girl he tried to take last made sure of it." A young nurse tells her with a smile as she enters the room.

"He tried to get another girl?" Jeff asks in shock.

"Yeah, a black belt too. There will be an interview with the girl on the news next week." She tells them with a smile.

"How long until we can take her back home?" Jeff asks the nurse.

"It's hard to tell at this point. She wasn't allowed to move very much in the past few months, and she hasn't eaten a proper amount of food either. We'll monitor and let you know when we can give you a more accurate response." She tells him before she glides out of the room.

"God. What those other families must be going through," Deborah says to Jeff as she stares at her daughter in the hospital bed. Her husband nods his agreement. He can hardly believe the fact that his daughter was in the hands of such a sick and twisted man.

_A lot of pain will be felt from the effects of that man, for a long time to come._


	44. Chapter 43: Byakuya's Many Weapons

Chapter 43

_Byakuya's Many Weapons_

"I can't believe your brother hasn't come home yet," Ichigo says to Rukia as they stand in front of her bedroom door. He glances around to make sure the statement remains true.

"Don't be surprised if he doesn't come home tonight. There are lots of times he gets a hotel rather than coming back here. It makes him emotional to be here, since this is the house he and my sister were living in when she died." Rukia tells Ichigo softly. "He thinks I don't know, but several years ago I woke up in the middle of the night and I heard him crying and saying my sister's name. Back then I didn't understand it so much. Now that I'm so in love with you, I do understand." Rukia tells Ichigo softly.

She has a sad look in her eyes as she realizes her brother really did love her sister, and it was a very strong and deep love that they shared.

"Oh." Ichigo says as he realizes Rukia is right. He doesn't even think he could even be half as strong as her brother has been if Rukia died.

"Good night, Ichigo." Rukia tells him softly before she closes her eyes and puckers up her lips. Ichigo smiles and leans down to kiss her waiting lips.

"Good night, Rukia." Ichigo tells her as he watches her enter her bedroom. He walks over to the next door and walks over to the bed.

_I am so exhausted._

Ichigo falls asleep practically instantly, unlike Rukia who is staring at the bed she's going to sleep in while deep in thought.

_The last time I dreamed, it was another scary dream with Hinamori Momo. Will I finally be freed from these dreams now that Aizen's true nature has been revealed? Is it even possible that Byakuya ni-sama could be right, and that the threat isn't over with yet?_

Rukia gets into bed while still trembling. She has a very hard time trying to fall asleep, and she's very glad Ichigo is in the room next to hers. It makes her feel safe, even if she is feeling very uneasy.

Her last dream had been so terrifying. It had been even more scary when she'd woken up to find Ichigo falling to the floor from who knew what, and Aizen in her room as the obvious culprit of Ichigo's condition.

When Rukia does finally fall asleep, she's once again visited by Hinamori Momo. This time they're both sitting in a park on a bench. It's nighttime in her dream, but the moon and stars are shining to give off a good amount of light.

"My family is a total mess. It's been very hard for them to learn the truth about what happened when I disappeared." Hinamori says in a tearful voice to Rukia. "My little brother has taken the news very hard, and my parents are in a deep depression." Hinamori admits to Rukia.

"I'm sorry." Rukia whispers to the girl. Hinamori looks up at Rukia with tear filled eyes.

"You did really good. I thought for sure he was going to get you." Hinamori says as she tries to give Rukia a smile.

"It was a real shock to learn it was the professor who was after me." Rukia admits softly to Hinamori.

"He was obsessed with you. He realized a long time ago that hunting you might mean the end of him. He couldn't let go of his obsession." Hinamori tells her quietly.

"At least he's no longer free to hurt anymore girls." Rukia says softly to Hinamori. "I am thankful that you kept warning me every time there was going to be trouble." Rukia tells her quietly.

"I wouldn't start relaxing just yet." Hinamori says in a strange voice to Rukia.

"What do you mean?" Rukia asks her softly.

"Obsessed. That's what he is. Even though he's locked up, he's still imagining what it would be like to rape you." Hinamori tells her in a strange voice. "His obsession has grown even more now that he's seen you naked in bed."

"As long as he's behind bars though, does it really matter?" Rukia asks her quietly.

"I'm glad it doesn't bother you that much, because I've come to warn you that he'll be visiting you in your dreams, very soon. The more he stays locked up and unable to use his mind, it's mental reach will grow a lot more. He's too obsessed to let you go, and he'll soon consciously realize how to tap into your mind as you sleep." Hinamori tells her as she looks at Rukia.

"Huh?" Rukia asks her in confusion. Hinamori looks at her and sighs. It's not her fault that she's so blissfully unaware.

"Remember when you yelled and he realized your presence and took over the dream?" Hinamori asks Rukia.

"Yes, unfortunately." Rukia says immediately, cringing at that awful memory. She wishes she could forget that.

"That was an accident. It only happened because you so very strongly wished to get your thoughts across to him. Your mind is very strong in a different way. Your ability is different from his. You're a very receptive person, not the kind of person who usually reaches out, though you have the ability to do so. You're receptive without even trying to be so." Hinamori tells her quietly.

"So you're saying he's going to tap into my brain? That sounds so unbelievable." Rukia tells her with wide eyes.

"Except that you've experienced it happening before. He'll take you anyway he can get you." Hinamori tells her anxiously.

"What about back-up plans? Do you know if he had any sort of back-up plan for if he failed to capture me?" Rukia asks Hinamori a bit desperately.

"I know nothing about that. I was only focused on Tara and his attempts to come and get you himself. Now I'm here to warn you that he has the ability to manipulate your dreams, and that the moment he figures out how to do it, you'll see him again." Hinamori explains in a strained voice.

"As long as he never gets me when I'm awake. I can handle bad dreams. I can't handle that kind of twisted reality." Rukia tells Hinamori as she clenches her fist.

"You're very strong to say that, I hope you feel that way once he figures out how to break in here at will." She tells Rukia with a warning note.

"I understand." Rukia tells her softly. She doesn't like what Hinamori is insinuating, but she'll take bad dreams over real life torture any day of the week.

"I also have a favor to ask you." Hinamori says softly to Rukia.

"Anything." Rukia replies as she looks at the girl.

"When my brother contacts you, and I'm sure he will, please tell him not to worry about what happened on the day I disappeared. Tell him that I still loved him very much and for him to stop feeling guilty about being mean to me." Hinamori tells her.

"Your brother?" Rukia whispers in surprise.

"Yes, I've tried to tell him myself. I've visited his dreams as well, but he isn't as receptive as you are. The moment he sees my face he just stops listening because he's crying too hard." Hinamori explains uncomfortably. "It's hard because I can only reach him partway." She explains with big sad eyes.

"How awful." Rukia says, her heart going out to Hinamori. This girl has never been able to rest in peace. No matter what, she's just been stuck in limbo.

"Will you tell him?" Hinamori asks her a bit desperately.

"Of course I'll tell him." Rukia assures her quickly. "Did you know about Aya?" Rukia asks Hinamori suddenly, as she remembers Aizen's first known victim.

"I knew about her, because he told me about her." Hinamori admits to Rukia. "I lived longer than she did in his chamber." Hinamori admits to Rukia. "I knew months before his treatment killed me that I would die while under his care. I think he thought he was being considerate when he told me that." Hinamori says, not meeting Rukia's gaze.

"What a fucking bastard He's a piece of shit that deserves death above all else." Rukia tells Hinamori with a loud depressed sigh. Hinamori suddenly starts to look around suspiciously.

"He couldn't have possibly figured it out already, could he?" Hinamori whispers nervously as she peers around. "I refuse to be here when he gets here." She tells Rukia in a warning voice.

"What are you talking about?" Rukia asks Hinamori in confusion.

"I can feel him coming." Hinamori says forebodingly. "He's so close." She whispers as she glances around fearfully.

"Aizen Sousuke?" Rukia whispers with big eyes. Hinamori disappears and two large hands land on Rukia's shoulders from behind the bench that she is sitting on.

"You called out for me? You should just call me Sousuke, because you and I are going to become very close." A low chuckle sounds behind Rukia and she stiffens up.

"Don't be ridiculous." Rukia responds, even as her heart starts to race in fear. "You aren't real."

"Oh, but I am. Be honest with me for once. Didn't you ever imagine what it would be like to have me fucking the hell out of you, before you realized I wanted to own you for my own pleasures?" He asks her softly as he squeezes her shoulders. Rukia winces in pain. She can't even move right now.

"I never once thought about that." She whispers as his hands reach down and squeeze both of her breasts. Rukia starts to breathe a bit harder in fear when she realizes she can do nothing about the way he's touching her. She can't raise her arms at all, and she can't stand.

"You're such a liar. You were attracted to me. You blushed when I called you beautiful." He accuses her, as he starts massaging her breasts.

"No I wasn't. I was flattered that you thought I was beautiful only because I thought you were a good and decent man." Rukia whispers in horror as her clothes start to disappear.

"Yes you were. You even saw me naked before you knew the truth about me. I want to know how that made you feel. Did you want to touch it?" Aizen whispers right into her ear.

"Uncomfortable and embarrassed. I had no desire whatsoever to touch you." Rukia immediately answers, even as she cringes from the way her nipples have hardened naturally under his touch.

"You looked at my body, you saw it all, didn't you?" He asks her in an amused voice.

"Yes." Rukia admits, even though she's ashamed in doing so. "I didn't look out of desire though," She's quick to explain as he keeps on chuckling in that disgusting amused way.

"I'm the biggest you've ever seen, aren't I?" He asks her in the same amused voice.

"Ichigo is much bigger than you." Rukia answers, which makes Aizen unhappy.

"Are you sure you want to say that? I can prove you wrong." Aizen tells her as he straightens up and pulls his hands off of her bare breasts. Rukia breathes a tiny sigh of relief that he isn't touching her, until he walks around the bench in front of her, completely nude. Rukia's eyes widen at the size of his private parts. He had definitely not been this large when she'd pulled back the cover in her room to find him sleeping there.

"You weren't that big in my room." Rukia whispers in horror.

"I like it when you get that look on your face. You're so fucking pretty." He tells her with a smile. "Open your mouth." He tells her as he steps towards her. Rukia's eyes widen in disgust.

_No way. That thing isn't going in my mouth._

She keeps her mouth closed and shakes her head no. He quickly steps forward and pinches her nose so that she'll be forced to breathe out of her mouth.

He positions his midsection to be right in front of her face and he smiles as he waits for her to try and breathe some air. He rubs himself across her face as her eyes close in fear and disgust.

Rukia wakes up gasping for breath. She had been so hopeful and sure that the next time she dreamed, it would be peaceful, now that Aizen has been caught. Instead, it looks like he'll be coming after her in her dreams, when she's unable to move and is helpless from his sick mind.

_It's not fair! Will I have any peace as long as that man even lives? Who wants to go to sleep with dreams like those?_

"Rukia?" Ichigo's voice sounds from the cracked open door. "I heard you whimpering a minute ago, are you okay?" Ichigo asks her as he walks into the room to sit on her bed.

Rukia sits up and hugs him close.

"He was in my dream." Rukia answers as she hugs him tightly.

"Aizen Sousuke?" Ichigo asks with sympathy.

"Yes." Rukia tells Ichigo softly. "He apparently can appear in my dreams at will." She answers tearfully.

"Is something like that even possible?" Ichigo asks in amazement and a bit of disbelief.

"It sure as hell is. I experienced it. I can't forget his laughter as he put his hands on me." Rukia tells Ichigo sadly.

"I've never heard of such a phenomenon." Ichigo tells her as he keeps holding her.

Neither of them notice Byakuya in the doorway, listening.

"He was mocking me. He accused me of desiring him too." Rukia tells Ichigo in a terrorized voice.

"He can't die soon enough to make me happy." Ichigo tells her while he hugs her.

"I saw Hinamori Momo before he appeared. She asked me to give a message to her brother. She said he'll contact me." Rukia tells Ichigo as she starts to calm down.

"Are you going to be okay?" Ichigo asks her worriedly. Rukia attempts a smile and then she nods.

"I think I'll be okay, even though I dread falling back asleep. Will you sit with me until I do?" Rukia asks him in a small voice.

"Yes." Ichigo answers immediately as he lets her go and she lays back on the bed.

"Thanks." Rukia tells him softly. Ichigo leans down and kisses her on the forehead.

Ichigo ends up falling asleep next to her as he waits for her to sleep, as for Rukia, she's actually able to fall into a dreamless sleep as he lays next to her.

When they both wake up in the morning, Ichigo looks horrified that he fell asleep in her room. He also notices that her bruise has lightened a bit.

"Your brother will be so pissed. I'd better hurry back into my room." Ichigo tells her in a worried voice.

Rukia smothers a giggle as Ichigo hightails it out of her room. She feels totally refreshed since she'd been able to sleep without Aizen appearing in her dreams after Ichigo stayed with her. She stretches and smiles as she wonders exactly what the weapons training will involve.

J J J J

When Rukia and Ichigo are led into Byakuya's private dojo for weapons training, their mouths drop open at all of the weapons that are displayed on one wall.

There are swords, spears, knives, staffs, sabers, iron fans, amongst other weapons.

"Holy shit." Ichigo breathes as his eyes wander along the wall.

"I had no idea," Rukia says softly to Ichigo as she sees the vast array of weapons that are out on display.

Byakuya notes with amusement, the shocked looks on their faces as their eyes go over each and every weapon that he has learned to wield. When Hisana had died, and he'd sent Rukia away for school, he'd learned quite a bit and had studied to master the skills of using the various weapons.

"Rukia, I am going to teach you how to use the iron fan, and the Jiulong twin knives first and foremost." Byakuya tells her as he walks over to the wall to pull down the weapons he had stated out loud. He looks at Ichigo next. "You will be learning the arts of the double edged sword and the three section staff."

Rukia and Ichigo exchange glances. How will one guy teach four different styles in one week? Will they even learn a lot in as little time as a week to study?

"Really?" Rukia asks with excitement.

"Yes. Chinese internal martial art weapons training develops patience, discipline, agility, and hand eye coordination. You'll learn speed, timing, the ability to project energy or Jin into an object, and a respect for the weapon itself." Byakuya says to them both. "Even though I'm sure you both will already have good instincts due to your martial arts background."

"You studied the Chinese martial art weapons?" Ichigo asks, looking very impressed.

"Yes. You will work on the basics of movement, control, power, internal and external energy. Combat stance, and speed drills, fencing with the weapons and how to adapt the weapon to your style of internal art is the key to understanding these weapons." Byakuya tells them next.

"Speed drills? That sounds fun," Rukia says with a small grin.

"The focus is on strategy, striking zones and real combat principles using the eight postures or palms as expressed by the particular weapon. These methods were used effectively in life and death combat for over three hundred years by the bodyguards of one of the most influential families in China's history."

"Wow." Ichigo says as he wonders how much they'll be able to learn in one week.

"First let me pull down the weapons we'll be concentrating on." Byakuya says as he walks over to the wall to pull down the double edged sword, the three section staff, the iron fan, and the Jiulong twin knives. "Rukia, come here." Byakuya says as he picks up the iron fan. He opens it up and Rukia gasps.

"How beautiful!" Rukia tells her brother as she looks at the fan in his hands.

"It's a very effective weapon." Byakuya tells her as he demonstrates a few moves with it as Rukia walks closer to him. "If you learn how to use this, you'll be able to wield a short stick or even a pen in an effective way." He tells her as he shows her the correct way to hold the fan. "The fan is ideal to hit pressure points or lock joints to take your attacker down." Byakuya tells her quietly. "A long time ago, there were even people who could throw concealed darts while using this weapon, although it's an art that's been lost over the years. The fan can be used in either a strike or piercing manner when completely closed or open in either a blocking or slicing motion."

"Wow, how interesting." Rukia says as she watches him get into the correct stance for using the fan to fight. She never imagined that her brother could look so dangerous as he held a fan in his hand.

"You will learn the fan is a weapon for striking the open ribs, raking with the sharp edges of the ribs or strike with it closed as a club or thrusting weapon." Byakuya explains to her before he hands her the fan to get used to the weight of it in her hands.

"It's heavier than I had expected." Rukia says as she holds it in her hand.

"The key to performing a good fan technique is having strong wrist muscles, which you already have. The movement to open and close the fan is a slight flick of the wrist that sends a sharp crack of sound as the fan slices open or closed." Byakuya tells her.

Ichigo watches in fascination as Byakuya works with Rukia on the fan techniques. Ichigo thinks it is an ideal weapon to teach to Rukia, since she could easily begin to start carrying one on her person without it being known she was necessarily carrying a weapon.

After Byakuya shows her several different drills that he wants her to start practicing, he picks up the three section staff and he motions for Ichigo to come over to where he's at.

"This is what I'll be starting with?" Ichigo asks as he studies the staff. Byakuya nods as he shows Ichigo the staff.

"This can be used against swords, spears, knives or even multiple adversaries. It is used as a flail with one or both ends or as a long three-section whip. When held in both hands the staff becomes two short clubs and a shield. If you reverse it, then it can catch, lock or break arms, legs and necks with almost no difficulty." Byakuya tells him with an authoritative note to his voice.

"Seems dangerous." Ichigo says as he studies the weapon. Byakuya nods his head in agreement.

"It is a very effective weapon since it is ideal for defending against such a wide range of other weapons.

"It looks like it could easily be concealed." Ichigo says, noting the convenience of that fact.

"Yes, it's one of the benefits of a weapon such as this. There is a powerful technique in which one end of the staff is held and the other sections are swung furiously from front to back or from back to front and slammed against the ground." Byakuya says as he demonstrates the technique to Ichigo.

"You like this weapon?" Ichigo asks as he watches Byakuya use it.

"I think it's very ideal weapon to carry on you to protect against an assassin." Byakuya tells him. "This is called Iron Elbow. This is a technique in where the two end sections are held and the iron-ringed joints are used to strike your opponent." Byakuya tells him next.

"That seems like it would be very painful." Ichigo says as he observes the way Byakuya holds the staff and executes his techniques.

"The other move that I'm going to have you start working on is this." Byakuya says before he demonstrates the next move. "This is a powerful technique where one end of the staff is held in one hand and the middle section in the other hand then the free end is spun in front of the body." Byakuya stands there spinning the free end as though it comes natural to him.

"Cool." Ichigo says as he watches him. Byakuya finally hands Ichigo the staff so that he can start practicing and experimenting with it before he walks over to Rukia who is still getting used to the feel of the iron fan in her hands.

"The fan art was originally intended to be an ideal self-defense weapon, even though you can also use it offensively." He tells her as he watches her practice flicking the fan open and closed.

"It doesn't seem like the type of weapon a man would prefer." Rukia tells her brother as she admires the beauty of the fan. She really likes the look of it, and she feels beautiful as she practices with it.

"That may be true now, but in the past when warriors were expected to leave their weapons at the door of their superiors, the fan was one of the only things a man could keep on him for his own personal protection, if he were attacked. Many warriors carried around these fans to ensure their safety in the event they didn't have their swords." Byakuya tells her quietly. He can hardly believe how quickly she's already getting the hang of using the fan. She's a natural.

"I think it's a really beautiful weapon," Rukia reiterates as she practices with it.

"I'll be having weapons made for you to practice with in Karakura Town and I'll be coming out as often as I can to train the two of you." Byakuya tells them as he watches them practice. They both nod solemnly as they continue to practice. It's far more fun than either of them could have imagined, to practice with weapons.

They end up spending several hours working out, and they don't begin to head home until almost four o'clock.

J J J J

"Holy crap I'm so freaking sore." Rukia says as she leans back into the car. Ichigo nods in agreement.

"I'm surprised, I didn't think I'd feel this exhausted considering how often we exercise at the gym." Ichigo tells her as he lays down in the car with his head on her lap.

"It's because we're using muscles we don't typically use." Rukia mutters as she takes a deep relaxing breath.

"I can't believe how many weapons your brother knows how to use." Ichigo says with an impressed tone to his voice.

"I think he is very knowledgeable about many things, because learning is all he has left after losing Hisana." Rukia tells him softly.

"He has you too." Ichigo points out, but Rukia just laughs a little bit at that comment.

"I wasn't around him that much when my sister died. He didn't focus on me that much," Rukia tells Ichigo who shakes his head.

"I think you're wrong. Even though he didn't spend time with you, it seems he was very focused on making sure he protected you." Ichigo tells her, feeling like he understands her brother a bit better now.

"He's different now than what he used to be. It all started to change when you sent the letter to him requesting the Miai. He apologized to me for not being there for me in the past and he promised me he'd be there for me at the Miai. He surprised me." Rukia explains to Ichigo.

"And look at him now, he's training you on weapons so that you stay alive and well." Ichigo points out as he looks up at her from her lap.

Rukia's hands start gliding through his hair and Ichigo closes his eyes to enjoy the feeling of her touch. Before he even realizes it, he dozes off while in her lap.

Rukia stares at his sleeping face with a look of pure adoration. He always looks like an angel when he sleeps. She can hardly tell that he's such a dangerous man when he sleeps, because it becomes evident that he has some very beautiful and dark eyelashes. His mouth is slightly open, and angelic is the only word that accurately describes what he looks like when he's like this.

"Don't go straight back to the mansion, I'd prefer for you to take us on a long country drive." Rukia instructs the driver in a soft voice. He nods his head as he drives.

Rukia looks back at Ichigo. His jaw line is so strong, and his face is so handsome. He seems so very comfortable with his head rested in her lap, turned towards her so that she can admire him as much as she wants.

_It's amazing. He loves me as much as I love him. How is it that I could be so lucky to have someone as incredible as Ichigo, in my life, loving me? Why was I blessed with such a loving and protective man to stay by my side? How is it that my life can be so good and so blessed when other people's lives are torn to devastation? Sometimes I wonder if I'm even deserving of such an amazing man. He's so perfect._

Rukia ends up dozing off in the car with Ichigo during the drive, and her dreams leave her alone as they travel along the roads on the relaxing car drive. Ichigo ends up waking her up when he sits up suddenly and notices they're not back at the mansion.

"Rukia? Where are we going?" Ichigo asks her, as he eyes flutter open from him sitting up.

"I asked the driver not to take us home, and to take us on a drive so that we could rest awhile." Rukia tells him as she yawns and stretches her arms out.

"When are we going to head back?" Ichigo asks her curiously.

"How far away are we from the mansion?" Rukia asks the driver in a sleepy voice.

"About an hour and a half." The driver responds.

"Okay, you can head back now." Rukia tells him before she glances at Ichigo.

"Did you rest okay?" He asks as he searches her eyes for any sign of trauma.

"Yes. Thanks to you being right here, I didn't have any dreams at all. I like it best when it's like that." She whispers, softly so that the driver doesn't overhear her.

"Tomorrow you start learning those knives, and I'll start working with the double edged sword. How cool is that?" Ichigo asks her with a grin.

"I'm shocked at the way ni-sama is being so thorough, between the two of us, we'll have a decent understanding of four weapons by the time we return to Karakura Town." She tells him with a grin.

"I'm surprised at how quickly we both started picking up what he taught us today." Ichigo admits to her.

"We wouldn't have had that kind of success without our prior martial arts background, I'm sure. We both have a lot of strength and power. The weapons will just be a new aspect of our knowledge in protecting ourselves." She tells him with a grin.

"I used to think that I might want to be in law enforcement, but it would be cool to be a bodyguard too." Ichigo tells her with a grin.

"Why do you want to do something so dangerous?" Rukia asks him softly.

"I think the strong should protect the weak." Ichigo answers instantly. "Even though in your case the bodyguards weren't protecting someone weak I'm sure there are many situations where that is the case." He explains to her in a soft manner.

"You don't want to be a doctor like your father?" Rukia asks in a bit of surprise.

"Not really. Not because of the job itself, but because of the amount of time you have to spend in school to do it." Ichigo explains. "My father's learning never ends. He sometimes has to go to medical seminars to learn what new advances have been made in the medical field." He explains to her.

"True, it's one of those jobs where you never stop learning. I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet. I was imagining us opening up our own martial arts dojo and training kids in our styles." Rukia tells him with a dreamy look on her face. Ichigo nods his head with a smile.

"That sounds like it would actually be fun." He admits as he imagines him and her training a bunch of little kids to be effective in protecting themselves.

"A lot less dangerous than your ideas too," Rukia tells him with a smile.

"We still have time to make those kinds of future decisions though," Ichigo says as he lays back down in her lap.

"I had a lot of fun, teaching your sisters." Rukia tells him softly. Ichigo smiles at the memory.

"Me too." He admits as he remembers watching Yuzu take down a bully.

"I was so proud of Yuzu-chan when she successfully extracted herself from the confrontation with that rude boy." Rukia tells him, and Ichigo grins. Sometimes she says the things that are running through his brain, and it always makes him think she can read his mind.

"Whatever we do in the future, we'll definitely be together." Ichigo tells her in a low fervent voice that sounds almost gruff. Her heart beats a little faster at the quality of it.

"Most definitely." Rukia says as she closes her eyes to nap for the remainder of the drive. Ichigo closes his eyes on her lap, and they both sleep peacefully until they arrive back at the mansion.

Byakuya is there, and to Ichigo's surprise, he doesn't say anything about the fact that it took them hours to get home. He simply informs Rukia that dinner will be ready in ten minutes as they walk through the door before he disappears down a hallway.

Rukia is glad that she got so much sleep in the car, because she is dreading the next time she has to sleep by herself.

She doesn't understand why she never has these dreams with Ichigo in her bed. The only time that had actually happened was when Aizen was actually in her bedroom. It made sense though, since Ichigo had left her bed, that the dreams came back. When he's next to her, it's like even her mind is protected from Aizen's reach.

She also knows that Ichigo had been really upset when he realized he had fallen asleep with her rather than making his way back to his assigned room last night. Her brother hadn't said anything though, so Rukia just assumed that Byakuya didn't know. That wasn't the case though. Byakuya was well aware of what had happened, and the only reason he wasn't mad was because he remembered Hisana's whimpers when she had bad dreams before they got married. He had rushed to her side in the same manner that Ichigo had rushed to Rukia's side.

Byakuya knows without a doubt that Ichigo loves Rukia as deeply and as dearly as he loved his wonderful Hisana. He believes Ichigo is worthy of Rukia's love now too. He doesn't know how everybody else saw the spark that the kids had back then, when all he could come up with were visions of heartache in the future. Hisana had told Byakuya so many times that she trusted Ichigo to take care of Rukia in the future. She even told him she thought he'd do as good of a job as Byakuya had done in protecting her.

Back then, he thought his wife was being terribly naïve and blissfully ignorant when she argued for the love of her sister and Ichigo. Byakuya didn't ever want to hurt his wife's tender feelings, but he had always silently disagreed and had felt that the Omiai contract she had signed on behalf of her sister would always come back to haunt them.

Ichigo has already more than proven that he intends to keep the promise that he and Rukia made as children, the beautiful diamond and sapphire ring is proof of that.

_And I will give them an even bigger arsenal of weapons to be able to protect themselves with. I will honor Hisana's memory by preventing people the ability to easily hurt her. She is the only family member left alive of the Kanzaki family. Hisana's sister has a right to enjoy a beautiful life, in memory of her entire blood family._


	45. Chapter 44: Future Plans

Chapter 44

_Future Plans_

The next day they start working with the double edged sword and the Jiulong twin knives. The thirteen inch blades look very sharp to Rukia's eyes as she watches her brother demonstrate.

"Do you see? The back of these blades are thick and broad for blocking other weapons and also for blunt force hits. They're held in each hand either in the front or reverse hand position and are used for thrusting and slashing at your opponent." He tells her as he demonstrates the circular motion of the knives to show her the proper way to wield them.

"Amazing," Rukia breathes with awe as she watches her brother move with ease as he shows her how to hold the knives.

"This is a precise and practical edged weapon technique using both linear and circular methods of the rudimentary movements from Jiulong Baguazhang. Making use of the Square Circle principle you can transform nine tactics into hundreds of defensive and offensive techniques." Byakuya explains as he moves with the knives.

Rukia and Ichigo both watch transfixed as Byakuya demonstrates the proper stance and methods for wielding the knives. When Byakuya hands the knives to Rukia, she starts to get nervous.

"What if I cut myself?" She asks nervously.

"You're going to start out using the movements I did at an extremely slow rate. We'll speed it up later after you feel more confident with them in your hands. You'll also be wearing Kendo gear when we finally speed up. Today you're going to concentrate on grip and movement, not power and speed." Byakuya tells her with a sure nod of his head.

He walks over to Ichigo with the double edged sword.

"This thought of as one of the finest weapons to learn on." Byakuya tells Ichigo as he lets him get a good look at the sword.

"It looks pretty amazing." Ichigo answers as he admires the sword.

"It's extremely hard to master and is wielded like a surgeons scalpel. It's a refined weapon using rudimentary movements that can be transformed into hundreds of defensive and offensive techniques." Byakuya explains as he demonstrates the stance to Ichigo.

Ichigo can't help but to be impressed with Byakuya's extensive knowledge as he directs both he and Rukia in their weapons training.

When the day of long training ends, Rukia and Ichigo head to the mansion and Rukia takes Ichigo back to the indoor pool where they can have a discussion about her dreams.

"Last night I woke up before he could even touch me. It always makes me nervous when I see his face without Hinamori Momo showing up first, because then I don't know if I'm dreaming or not." Rukia tells Ichigo as she sits on the edge of the pool with her legs dangling into the water.

"Is it harder to get away when you realize it's a dream?" Ichigo asks her curiously.

"It sure feels that way sometimes, since I actually am telling myself to wake up right when he's really scaring me. He likes to accuse me of wanting him to have sex with me too, which is really scary. It's like he's convinced himself that deep down he thinks I want him to have sex with me." Rukia tells him with a look of disgust on her face.

"He's as sick in your dreams as he is in real life," Ichigo says after he hears that.

"I know. At least I woke up in time last night. I hate it when he touches me in my dreams. It makes me feel creepy all over." She tells Ichigo with a shiver working its way through her body.

"Do you really think it will be like this until he actually dies?" Ichigo asks her nervously.

"Shit, I hope it ends then. If he's able to get to me in my dreams after he dies, I don't know what I'll do. I feel like I'm in some sort of bad remake of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies." Rukia tells him as she shivers again before she slides into the water.

"I hate that he can get to you even in your dreams." Ichigo tells her as he swims over to her.

"Me too, believe me." She tells him with a sigh as he pulls her into his arms.

"But he doesn't come after you when I'm with you?" Ichigo says in a pleased voice.

"Yeah. So at the very longest, I'll only have to endure this nightly torture until we're married." She tells him with a smile.

"That's a relief." Ichigo says with a grin before he kisses her in the pool.

"I know. There's a light in the tunnel, at least." Rukia replies after he pulls away from her lips.

"I'm glad that there's something at all that can give you peaceful dreams." Ichigo tells her with a tight hug. Rukia hugs him back and enjoys once again the feeling of his muscular chest against her cheek.

"I know…you're always saving me." Rukia says as she squeezes him tighter.

"I don't mind," Ichigo tells her softly and lovingly. "I like saving you." He tells her, making her feel incredibly happy and loved.

"I love you for that," Rukia tells him in a heartfelt voice.

"You know, I've been thinking that we should ask your brother to move up the wedding to the summer before our final year in school." Ichigo tells her softly. In just a couple of months they'll be starting their second year at Karakura Town. Rukia smiles at what he says. He pulls away from her to look at her face.

"I like that idea," Rukia tells him with a smile. "Married as students." She says with her hands clapped together.

"I wouldn't mind moving it up," Ichigo tells her with a smile. "I think it will actually make our last year in school easier too." He tells her, still smiling.

"We'd have to start planning it immediately if that's the case. Byakuya ni-sama knows a lot of people." Rukia tells him with excitement.

"I figure we'll spend more time than usual studying in our third year, and I would prefer to be living with you when that happens so that we can still have some fun you and me time." Ichigo tells her with a wink that makes Rukia's heart flutter.

"You're right. I've always been at the top of my class, and I think it will be easier to stay that way if I can dream peacefully next to you the night before big exams without worrying about getting in trouble. You're going to move in with me, right?" Rukia asks Ichigo. She had always just assumed he would, since she lived right next door and it's her own house.

"Yeah, I don't want to stay with my family. They'll all be happy enough with me being right next door where they can still harass me everyday." Ichigo tells her with a bit of a scowl.

"We can go abroad if you want to. We don't have to stay in Karakura Town." Rukia tells him softly. Ichigo's eyes widen.

_Go abroad with Rukia? Do I really want to leave this Karakura Town for an extended period of time? I'm not sure I want to do that. I think I'd prefer to finish out school in the same place I've always been._

Rukia can practically read his mind as he thinks about it.

"I'll understand if you don't want to change schools now that you're used to it here. It's not always easy being the new student, particularly when you have a foreign accent." Rukia tells him, and she smiles when she sees his face light up in relief.

"I really wouldn't like the idea of being the new guy somewhere, but if it starts to feel too dangerous around Karakura Town, I might reconsider. If it's for your safety, it might be worth it." Ichigo tells her after he thinks about it a bit longer.

"I know you don't want to leave your friends. We're strong enough to live wherever we want to. With all of those supportive people around us, we're very strong. There's strength in numbers, especially when you have such quality in those numbers." Rukia tells Ichigo with a grin. "Tatsuki and I have become very close, and Renji is in Karakura Town too, it really feels like home there." Rukia tells him with a smile.

_She's right about there being safety in numbers, and if we lived in the same house, my family might be less likely to be targeted in the event she and I are targeted._

"When do you think we should ask your brother?" Ichigo asks her quietly.

"After dinner. We'll sit him down in the parlor and express our desire to get married earlier than we had at first planned. I'm sure your father will support our decision." Rukia tells Ichigo with an excited nod of her head.

"Do you really think your brother will go for this?" Ichigo asks her desperately. He so badly wants to tie the knot and spend every morning waking up to her face and every night falling asleep after feeling her kiss.

"I don't think it's hopeless to ask him. I have no idea what he'll actually say, but judging from the things he said to you the other night, I actually think he'll be supportive." Rukia tells him with hopeful eyes.

"I want to marry you." Ichigo tells her in an aching voice.

"I want to marry you too. I love staring at my ring, and thinking about what it means for my future." She tells him with a happy smile and a dreamy look in her eye. Ichigo can't help it, he just has to kiss her when she's looking so adorable, lost in thought, dreaming about their marriage.

"Damn Rukia…you're so cute." Ichigo mutters into her ear after he's spent a minute kissing her.

"I'm glad you think so, I think you're pretty cute yourself," Rukia tells him flirtatiously.

They start kissing passionately in the pool for a little while, letting their hands roam freely over each other in an excited manner, and Rukia reaches down to grab Ichigo's arousal after she feels it press against her belly. Ichigo groans and keeps on kissing her furiously as he pushes the material away from her breasts and starts to gently massage them as she keeps rubbing him.

Somehow, Rukia's bikini bottom gets pushed aside and Ichigo's swim trunks get pulled down, Ichigo is sure Rukia had something to do with all of this, but he doesn't fight the feelings that are rushing through his body at the excitement of feeling her wet skin beneath his fingertips, and her soft hands rubbing him where he can hardly do anything besides submit to her will. She jumps up a bit and wraps her legs around him.

He feels the insanely hot pleasure of sliding inside of her and he lets out a loud gasp of pleasure and Rukia starts placing feathery hot kisses across his collarbone.

"Rukia…" Ichigo mutters in her ear before he starts bouncing her up and down to make love with his hands holding her up by her butt. The whole thing is so hot and they breathe heavily in passion as their bodies feel like they're heating up, yet the cool water laps around them making the noises more pronounced from all the splashing.

Ichigo kisses her neck as he makes steamy love to her, and they go at it until he releases inside of her. Ichigo is thrilled when she doesn't fix her bikini top and spends the next half hour swimming around with her breasts exposed.

"Making love to you is amazing," Rukia tells him as she floats on her back. Ichigo can't help but to think how perfectly perky and beautiful her breasts are when she floats like this.

"I feel like I'm addicted to you," Ichigo says with a husky voice as he stares at her in the water. He swims until he's by her side, and he puts one hand on her back underwater so that she doesn't have to try as hard to float, and he looks down into her beautiful blue eyes.

"I like the way you look at me, it makes me feel sexy." Rukia tells him as she looks at the sensuous look in his eyes.

"You are sexy," Ichigo tells her pointedly before he leans down and gives each of her nipples a nice long kiss. "Too sexy for your own damned good." He informs her with a bit of a helpless moan as he looks at her from head to toe.

"Good to know," Rukia tells him with a wink.

"I could get used to swimming with you in private and topless." Ichigo tells her with an appreciative look.

"I can't wait until you're not afraid to lose your boxers." Rukia tells him pointedly.

"After we're married, I won't be afraid to skinny dip in this particular pool. If your brother walks in here, at least I'm decent." Ichigo tells her with a look of worry.

"You didn't seem so worried when you were bouncing me around all energetically a little while ago," Rukia tells him with a pout.

"That was your fault, you got me going until I forgot all reason. If you hadn't provoked me so much with your grabbing, I could have stayed sane enough to keep from doing that where we could be so easily caught." Ichigo tells her with a blush.

"So you're going to blame it on me?" Rukia asks with a pout as she grins, because he's back to staring at her breasts as though they're really sexy.

"Yep. You drive me crazy, and you have fun doing it. Don't even try to deny it. I see the sparkle in your eyes when you get me to join in your mischievous plans." Ichigo tells her with a smile as he meets her gaze again. He's sure she just caught him staring at her breasts.

"Well, lets get out of the pool and go talk to Byakuya ni-sama." Rukia says as she finally pushes the material back over her breasts, causing Ichigo's expression to fall a tiny bit.

"Alright," Ichigo says as he swims with her to the ladder and they both get out.

They both grab towels, and dry off before they finally put on their clothes to head back into the mansion. Rukia's a bit disappointed to find out her brother has gone out again, and so she drags Ichigo to her room for another make out session. They kiss and touch for awhile, until Ichigo tears away from her to go take a cold shower.

Rukia grins at that announcement, it reminds her of when they were in America and he was trying to hold back from going too far with her.

She ends up dozing off, as she expects Ichigo to rejoin her, but he finds her sleeping with a peaceful expression on her face and so he goes to his own assigned room to lay down and contemplate the future, and what their discussion with Byakuya will be like when they're finally able to have it.

Rukia's dream starts out peaceful enough, she's sitting in a beautiful hotel room, and it's decorated as though it's the honeymoon suite. It's as though she's waiting for Ichigo to join her. She's wearing a pale blue teddy, and she has white thigh highs on. What happens next though is not good at all.

Aizen walks out of the bathroom.

"Aren't you glad we're married, my pet?" He asks her and Rukia's heart starts pounding in terror. She tries to sit up on the bed, but unfortunately, she's in the same type of condition as usual. Unable to move at all.

"We aren't married." Rukia bites out at him as he drops his towel, revealing his body. He isn't quite as large as what he had made himself in that one terrifying dream, but he's still bigger than what he had been when she found him naked in her bed.

"Yes we are. Look at your hand." Aizen tells her as Rukia looks to her left hand where she expects to see her perfect engagement ring. It's not there. Instead an ugly colored gold ring is there with what looks like little thorns lining it.

He holds up his hand to show another gold plain band on his own finger.

"No." Rukia tells him with a sureness that can't be denied.

"Yep, it's as you see it. You belong to me, heart and soul. That's why I'm here. It's why I'm always here." Aizen tells her as he climbs into bed and surveys her body at great length, taking his time about doing it.

"I do not belong to you." Rukia says loudly, squirming in discomfort at the way he's looking at her.

"Yes you do. If you didn't you would already be out of this bed, throwing that ring at my face. The fact that you're still here, waiting for my touch proves you want to feel me inside of you." He tells her with that usual tone of amusement that pisses her off so much.

"If I had the ability to move, I'd have done just that!" She snaps at him, causing his expression to turn confused.

"You can't move?" He asks her in surprise. "That's unexpected. I hadn't counted on the fact that I could freeze your body in these conditions. I prefer to think that deep down you don't want to move, and that's why you don't." He tells her with an insane smile spreading across his lips as he touches her ankle and lets his finger trail up her leg, under the teddy and in between her legs where she's wearing no underwear. Rukia shudders at the intimate touch.

"Gross." Rukia mutters at him as he starts rubbing his fingers in between her legs.

"It's utterly amazing…how clearly I can feel you. This is wonderful." Aizen tells her with a mischievous smile. He climbs up over her and places both hands on either side of her head as he leans down completely naked and presses his body against hers. He starts to kiss her, and Rukia is horrified to find she can't even make her mouth do what she wants it to.

She tries to keep it closed, but it opens with minimal resistance at his prodding. Instead, she's suddenly kissing him back, as though she likes him kissing her…which confuses her since that's not what she is thinking, desiring, or wanting. She feels her tongue going into his mouth in a very aggressive way and he moans at her apparent enthusiasm. He pulls away and stares at her in a bit of surprise.

"No." Rukia mutters in horror as she sees the exorbitantly pleased look on his face.

"Perfect. That was exactly what I wanted from you. Are you bending to my will this easily?" He asks her with amusement as he pulls his weight off of her and slowly lifts her teddy up until he can see her entire body from her breasts and below without anything covering her from his view. He begins to chuckle victoriously.

"Stop…" Rukia says with fear running rampant through her body. She can't move no matter how hard she tries.

"It's just like I remember it being as you laid in your bed. Do you have any idea just how much I wanted to fuck you right then and there?" He asks her in her ear huskily. He scoots up until he's squatting over her chest and he places his erection right at her lips. "I throb for you." He tells her with a smile.

Rukia starts shaking her head no, but Aizen is much more confident after feeling her kiss him back so willingly and responsively.

"I want you to open your mouth wide for me." He says softly with a smile. Rukia feels totally helpless as her mouth opens at his command and he slips himself into her mouth with a smile growing more profoundly on his face.

_Why aren't I waking up? Wake up! This is a dream…wake up!_

Rukia can't speak at all, her mouth is a bit busy at the moment as Aizen moves himself in and out of her mouth rather roughly, and deeply. Rukia's amazed that she isn't gagging, it's like her body won't even react negatively to him, no matter what her mind is screaming. She feels disgust as she feels him sliding around her mouth, making these satisfied moans of pleasure as he stares down at her with fascination and desire.

She feels like it lasts forever as he keeps on groaning and her body just keeps being submissive to his desires. She tries not to think about how her body is helpess to refuse his will. He finally pulls out of her mouth and Rukia coughs in disgust.

"Sick." Rukia mutters as she glares at him. Aizen chuckles.

"I like what you did with your tongue. I like it when you're all into it like you are right now. Those glares aren't fooling me." He tells her as he lowers himself to be right on top of her. "This is the furthest you've ever let me go with you," He tells her as he leans down to bite her nipple. Rukia tries not to gasp at the pain.

"I'm not letting you do shit. I hate this." Rukia says angrily at the insinuations he's making. She's terrified and disgusted, and not one part of her actually enjoys this. That's all in his brain.

"You are letting me finally get a real taste of what it's like to be with you. You always force yourself to wake up before I get to have any real fun with you. Why are you being so enjoyably complacent today? Is it because you think I'm not really feeling your body? You can feel me, can't you? I feel you just as clearly. We have a connection, you and I. And my control over you in your subconscious is so amazing, I wish I'd discovered it sooner. I thought something was weird when I was dreaming of being with Tara and then you appeared in the room. I never thought that you were actually there until you brought up Tara to me in your room. That gave me a greater understanding of what was going on between us. We're soul mates. I don't even know how you can still deny it." Aizen tells her triumphantly as he positions himself to enter her.

"No sick and twisted bastard like you is my soul mate." Rukia informs him in an offended tone.

"If I can penetrate you right now, maybe you'll finally feel it like I already do, just how much you were created to belong to me." He tells her as he rubs the head of his erection along the crease of her womanhood. "Oh my god I can feel the heat coming from within you." He tells her in a low affected voice.

"Your thoughts are sick and twisted. There is no way I could ever agree," Rukia argues, even as she silently prays to wake up. He laughs as he pinches her nipple, causing her to shake from pain.

"It will prove to me that we definitely belong together." Aizen tells her, ignoring what she's trying to tell him. "I've waited so long to feel you like this," he mutters as he stares into her eyes which look more terrified by the moment. "Absolutely beautiful." He breathes as he prepares to push inside of her. "It's fucking perfect." He tells her as he holds off, waiting for her reaction.

"No! Stop!" Rukia's eyes fill up with tears.

"Yes, I'll be able to feel you, all of you. I want you so bad." Aizen tells her as he begins to shake in his effort to hold off. "I can tell you will feel so fucking good, when you just let me have my way with you. This is how it should have been that day at the tea shop. You should have offered me your body in appreciation for me meeting with you. I knew back then how much I wanted to fuck you," he says in a low excited voice as he still holds himself above her.

"Get off of me!" Rukia cries out loudly.

"I'm going to come so quick, that's why I'm holding back. I want to remember this moment." He tells her in a moan that makes her think he's about to push in. Rukia feels her body shaking, and she doesn't understand why. "It's time to-" Aizen says, but then he disintegrates on top of her, and when Rukia opens her eyes, Ichigo is there, looking very worried.

"You were thrashing and acting like you were being attacked." Ichigo tells her softly as he looks down at her.

"He was on me. In my dream, he forced me to give him oral sex and then he was ready to rape me." Rukia informs him with disgust in her throat.

"It was just a dream…you weren't really with him." Ichigo tries to tell her, but she doesn't calm down.

"I remember the feel of him. I remember the sounds of his moans as he made me use my mouth on him. I couldn't move at all!" Rukia tells him as she starts to cry. "I feel like I was really assaulted!" She tells him with her voice starting to get higher.

"Well you didn't get touched! Don't give him that kind of power over you." Ichigo tells her urgently, as Rukia nods and starts breathing deeply to get a hold of herself. She doesn't want to worry Ichigo so much.

"You're right. It wasn't real. I need to remember that. It's not like it was for Hinamori Momo. For her, it was real." Rukia says as she lets herself calm down. Ichigo lets out a sigh of relief.

"You scare me when you talk like that. No matter how real a dream may feel, it's not really real." He tells her as he studies her face for any remaining signs of fear. She looks like she's finally got her composure back.

"I know you're right. It's just terrifying when it's happening in the dream." Rukia says as she looks at her beautiful engagement ring back on her finger like it should be.

"Just relax. It's almost time for dinner, you weren't asleep that long." Ichigo tells her with a smile.

"You're right. Tonight when we go to sleep, I want you to sit with me." Rukia tells him in a small voice.

"Alright, if it will make you feel better." Ichigo tells her with a kiss.

"It will." Rukia tells him with a grin. She always feels better after a kiss from Ichigo.

"Good." Ichigo tells her before he leans in to kiss her again.

Rukia throws her arms around him and lets the feel and scent of him wash away all of the disgust that she'd been feeling from Aizen.

Ichigo can feel that she's asking him for something with her kiss, but he's not about to make love to her in Byakuya's house no matter how much she tries to tempt him into doing so. He has to keep some control over himself, which is very difficult around her.

Rukia can feel the kisses getting deeper and deeper and she arches her chest up against him as she feels better and more relaxed with each moment she spends touching him. She likes the idea that she'll spend the rest of her life being in love with such an amazing man. She knows she thinks it all of the time, but she just simply cannot wait to get started on that.

JJJJ

Bringing things up with Byakuya ended up being a very uncomfortable thing to do. Her brother was home in time for dinner, which they barely spoke throughout.

After dinner, Rukia told her brother that she and Ichigo would like to talk to him in the parlor, and they all went there, without speaking. Rukia glanced at Ichigo who appeared as though he'd like to teleport out of the room rather than bring up this discussion with her brother.

"Ni-sama. Ichigo and I have been talking, and we'd like to move the date of our wedding up by a year. We want to get married in the summer break before our third year of school." Rukia finally says, straight out to him.

Byakuya had been expecting something like this, in fact he'd expected them to ask sooner.

"Is there a particular reason for moving up the date?" Byakuya asks her curiously. Rukia ducks her head in shame.

"To be honest with you, I have nightmares. I don't have them though when I fall asleep with Ichigo. I realized that when we dozed off together in the car during our ride yesterday," Rukia tells her brother. "Plus there's no doubt in my mind that this is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with." Rukia adds that heartfelt comment in a soft voice. Ichigo smiles encouragingly at her and Rukia smiles back at him.

"I see. And you're sure you want to get married before your third year?" Byakuya asks her with a raised eyebrow.

"I have no doubts whatsoever that Ichigo is my future, and I can't even wait to begin that future. I'm happiest when I'm with him." Rukia tells her brother sternly.

"What kind of nightmares are we talking about?" Byakuya asks her instead of answering her desire to get married. Rukia blushes.

"They're of the professor…attempting to rape me." Rukia admits in a soft voice as she refuses to meet her brother's gaze.

"What?" Byakuya says with wide eyes.

"Very disturbing dreams." Rukia mutters at him, still not meeting his gaze.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Byakuya says with a troubled look on his face.

"He's entering her dreams at will." Ichigo elaborates as Rukia turns redder and Byakuya's gaze shoots to Ichigo instantly.

"What does that mean?" Byakuya asks suspiciously.

"It means he's able to mentally take control over her dreams from where he's being held in custody," Ichigo explains a bit further.

"I've never heard of such a thing." Byakuya says as he looks back and forth between his sister and her fiancé.

"It's definitely happened though," Rukia tells her brother in a small voice as she looks at him.

"I can hardly believe that there is someone who has an ability like that," Byakuya says as he scratches his head. One look at his sister and he knows she isn't lying to him.

_She must be really terrified._

"I was surprised too," Ichigo admits to him. Byakuya looks back and forth between them one more time before he gives his answer to Rukia.

"Very well, I approve. If you want to move the wedding up, we'll start making plans immediately. I'll hire a wedding planner to come to Karakura Town to give you the wedding of your dreams. Money will not be an issue, spend whatever you want to have the wedding of your dreams." Byakuya tells them in a clear voice.

Rukia starts jumping up and down as she claps her hands excitedly.

"Wow." Ichigo says, amazed at his easy agreement.

"I'm so happy!" Rukia squeals as she jumps over to Ichigo and kisses him on the cheek.

"Me too," Ichigo admits as he smiles at her.

JJJJ

The rest of the week passes by quickly and smoothly for Ichigo and Rukia who both become much more familiar with the weapons that Byakuya had introduced to them at the beginning of the week.

Ichigo started staying with Rukia until she fell asleep, and every time he left her side, Aizen came intruding on her dreams.

It's strange for Ichigo who could hear Rukia's whimpering within ten minutes of leaving her side. He ended up staying with her quite a bit that week, and luckily they were never scolded by Byakuya.

Ichigo isn't sure whether or not her brother was wise to Ichigo being in Rukia's room so often, but Ichigo never did make love to her in there. He doesn't even want to imagine her brother's anger if he caught them in the act.

Rukia keeps discussing the pool party that they're going to throw when they get back to Karakura Town, and Ichigo just grins at her exuberance. He's glad she doesn't let the dreams get to her too much. He's not sure he could handle having such creepy dreams.

_Rukia is a lot stronger than she looks._

Ichigo wonders if Byakuya is right, and he wonders whether or not assassins will actually come after them. It seems a little bit far fetched, but then again, having your dreams controlled is pretty farfetched too.

_I just want a little bit of peace with Rukia. Maybe if we start planning our wedding, we can forget all of this depressing Aizen shit._


	46. Chapter 45: Coming Home

Chapter 45

_Coming Home_

When Rukia and Ichigo make it back to Karakura Town, Rukia's bruises have cleared up completely. They end up getting back Saturday morning, so that Rukia will be able to have the day to hang out with Ichigo before the day of her gymnastics practice. They ended up staying at Byakuya's for just under a full week.

Reporters are everywhere when the couple return home, and many questions are yelled at the couple who both rush into Rukia's house and slam the door, before they lean on it together and drop their luggage.

"They're swarming like crazy out there," Ichigo says as he gives Rukia a relieved look and a long sigh. Rukia laughs at his expression.

"They'll have to wait until our interview to get the answers. I'm going to call that reporter and let her know she can interview us tomorrow afternoon if she wants to." Rukia tells him with a grin.

"Yeah, the sooner we get the interview over with, the more likely they'll all start to leave us alone." Ichigo tells her with a nod of his head. Rukia peers through the curtains and smiles.

"You know we're going to get paid for this interview, right?" Rukia asks Ichigo with a smile.

Ichigo feels relieved to hear it. Maybe he can give his father some more money back for the ring that he gave to Rukia if that's the case. He's been wondering where he would find time to earn money with all of his free time being spent with Rukia.

Ichigo grins at Rukia, and she smiles back at him.

"I don't know why, but I don't mind the interview. It's a constant reminder that things could have gone much worse and you wouldn't be with me now if the worst had happened." Ichigo tells her as he leans down to kiss her.

It's at this moment that Shoko walks out from the hallway into their view. She smiles to see the couple acting the same way they've been acting since they found each other again.

"Welcome back," Shoko says when the couple finally pull away from one another. Rukia and Ichigo both look at her guiltily and then laugh a little bit before they greet the old woman.

"Hi Shoko!" Rukia exclaims before she runs over to hug the woman.

"How was your week?" Ichigo asks her with a grin.

"Too quiet without the two of you making it hectic. I missed you both!" Shoko says as she hugs Rukia back tightly and smiles up at Ichigo.

"You're so sweet, weren't the reporters here making life hell?" Rukia asks, and Shoko shakes her head at Rukia's course language but she grins.

"Your father kept them at bay for me," Shoko says as she looks at Ichigo.

"So he was good for something while we were gone?" Ichigo asks in a bit of surprise.

"He terrified them all when he flew out the window at one persistent reporter who was bugging me…the _second floor _window." Shoko says with wide eyes and a shake of her head.

"The second floor?" Rukia echoes with shock. Ichigo rolls his eyes.

"I wasn't sure whether or not my heart would give out as the glass came shattering out the window and he flew at us as though he were superhuman, and landed on the reporter that was bothering me, I don't think I've ever received such a shock in my life!" Shoko says with a laugh. "They didn't bother me after that." She says with a small laugh.

Rukia's eyes are wide, but then she just starts to laugh really hard as Ichigo stands there scowling at his father's over the top behavior.

"It's a miracle that old man hasn't died with all of the ridiculous stunts he pulls," Ichigo grumbles in embarrassment.

"I absolutely adore your father," Rukia says as she stands there giggling, imagining Isshin protecting Shoko by flying out the second floor window.

"He's a nut." Ichigo mutters. Rukia looks up at him.

"He was great the night Aizen and I were fighting in my room." She tells Ichigo softly. Ichigo's eyes widen.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asks her with wide eyes.

"When I went to call the police after I called your father to come help you, Aizen had come to and smacked my phone from my hands, which is how it broke, I remember I told you that it broke." Rukia tells him softly. Ichigo nods.

"So what did the old man do?" Ichigo asks her curiously.

"Aizen wrapped his hands around my throat just as your father popped through the window, and he decked Aizen so hard, and then tackled him to the floor and started banging his head against the floor. He also held Aizen down while I placed the knife against his skin down there and demanded to know what the hell he injected you with." Rukia explains quietly.

"Jeez. You and my dad teaming up is a scary thought," Ichigo says as he grins and shakes his head.

"He was fantastic. He was really helpful when he was beating Aizen's head into the floor. I love him like he's my second father." Rukia tells Ichigo with a happy smile.

"Well it's only fitting since he loves you like a third daughter." Ichigo tells her with a grin. "You have him wrapped around your finger you know." Ichigo tells her, causing Rukia to grin back mischievously.

"You should have seen how freaked out his face got when he started telling Aizen to answer the question or I'd cut off his balls," Rukia says with a little giggle. Shoko gasps.

"Rukia!" Shoko says as her hand comes up to cover her mouth.

"That was nothing in comparison to the plans he had in store for me if he were successful," Rukia tells Shoko in a carefree tone. "I still think I went a bit too easy on him in the end. I should have killed him." Rukia tells them both.

"I know, I still can't picture you with your knife up against his balls." Ichigo says, even though he tries hard to imagine it.

"Your father can." Rukia tells him in almost a singing voice with a grin.

"How are we going to get over to my place anyways, I doubt those reporters have any intention of leaving." Ichigo tells her worriedly.

"It's only next door, I think we'll make it alright," Rukia tells him with a grin. Ichigo shakes his head but runs her stuff up to her room before he comes downstairs and grabs his own stuff which they'd left by the door. Rukia grabs one of his duffel bags and they quickly head out.

Ichigo comes close to decking several reporters in the short walk to his own house, but he settles for shoving them when they get too close.

"Back the fuck off." Ichigo tells them when they keep asking for comments. They finally get into the front door and Ichigo finds his whole family sitting there. Only Yuzu and his father are smiling though.

"Welcome back!" Yuzu says with a big smile.

"Ichi-ni, please get rid of those annoying reporters. I can't even go meet my friends for soccer, they're like a pack of piranhas out there." Karin mutters angrily at him.

"Rukia and I will be giving an official interview tomorrow, so maybe the excitement around here will die down after that." Ichigo tells his sister apologetically.

"You look like you're completely healed and rested up," Isshin says as he looks at Rukia, noticing she's no longer bruised from her encounter with Aizen.

"Yes, I'm completely fine now. We had a really fun week. Byakuya ni-sama started to train us in weapons." Rukia tells him excitedly. Karin's eyebrow raises in curiosity.

"Weapons you say? What kind of weapons?" Karin asks as she gives the couple her full attention.

"Ichigo started learning on the double edged sword and the three section staff, and I started on the iron fan and the Jiulong twin knives!" Rukia tells the family with great excitement in her voice.

"Wow, that sounds kind of dangerous," Isshin says as he looks at the two of them.

"We didn't do any speed drills yet. We got used to the feel of them in our hands, the fighting stances that we should be in, and then we started to work on techniques as a snails pace in terms of speed to eliminate the chances of hurting ourselves while we're still unfamiliar with the weapons," Rukia explains enthusiastically.

"It's only a precaution in case Aizen put a contract out on her life or both of our lives." Ichigo tells his father softly. Isshin's eyes widen at that possibility, which he honestly hadn't even considered.

"He always did try to think ahead. He's been like that since I met him." Isshin tells the couple with a small smile of defeat.

"We also have something to ask you," Rukia tells Isshin in a very serious voice. Ichigo realizes where it's going and he pins his father with a very serious look.

"You look so serious, both of you. What is it?" He asks them curiously.

"We would like to get married the summer before our third year in school, and we wanted your approval to do so." Rukia tells him softly.

"You want to move up the wedding by a year? I'm surprised, even though it's not really unexpected. If you decide to set the date before Ichigo's eighteenth birthday, then I will certainly give my consent, the Omiai contracts have already been signed anyways." Isshin says with a broad smile.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't object much to that," Ichigo says with a grin.

"How exciting!" Yuzu says with a big smile as she claps her hands cheerfully.

"Did Tatsuki bring over our homework?" Ichigo asks his father, who nods. "Come on Rukia, we should get started on it, even though I doubt we can finish it," Ichigo tells her. Rukia shakes her head no.

"We won't have to turn it in until next week, Byakuya ni-sama already worked it all out. We can start on it tomorrow after we get done with the interview. I want to call everyone for a pool party at the gym." Rukia tells him with a wink. Ichigo grins at her.

"I knew you would say that, I still want to get a bit of a head start on some of my work while you make the calls though, otherwise I'll feel overwhelmed all week long," he tells her as they head up the stairs.

"My new phone is probably back at my house, let me use yours." Rukia tells him as they arrive in his room. Ichigo yanks his phone off the charger and tosses it to her as she sits in his bed. He finds two decent stacks of paperwork on his desk, one for him and one for Rukia.

"Damn. We have a lot to do in addition to what we'll be given this week." Ichigo grumbles as he stares at the load of work.

"We'll get Renji and Tatsuki to give us a hand tomorrow evening so that we'll be able to get back on schedule, it shouldn't be a problem," Rukia tells him with a grin.

"Damn, you think of everything don't you?' Ichigo asks with a relieved look on his face. Her idea makes him feel more relaxed instantly.

"They're our friends, of course they'll help us. They're probably dying to get back on schedule too, with us having been gone for the past week." Rukia tells him as she dials Tatsuki's number first.

"I'm still going to get ahead on this work while you make the calls." Ichigo tells her again before he picks up the first day's worth of assignments.

J J J J

Ichigo glances around the pool area, Rukia had gotten out a couple of folding tables which are set up with soft drinks and pizza for their friends. Everyone is having a great time, and everyone who hasn't yet been able to visit the gym is quite impressed with it.

Noriko gets mad at Keigo when she sees him ogling Inoue's chest and so she walks away from him into the girls dressing room where he can't follow her. Chizuru takes the opportunity to drag Noriko into the whirlpool on the other side of the gym, where she swiftly removes the other girl's top. Noriko glares at her.

"Why do you have to be so damned aggressive and forward all of the time?" Noriko demands as she covers her chest with her arms. Chizuru grins at her when she asks that.

"It's just my personality. Why did you let me bring you into the whirlpool?" Chizuru asks her with a wink.

"I was just pissed at Keigo, I wasn't really consciously thinking about it." Noriko tells her, still covering her chest up with her arms.

"Don't be mad at him for looking at Orihime, she's too amazing not to look at, it's not like it makes you any less attractive," Chizuru tells Noriko as she unties her own top and leans back in the whirlpool. She pulls off her fogged up glasses and sets them on the edge of the whirlpool.

Noriko is shocked that the girl's hands aren't all over her, and so she just sits down across from her and slowly pulls her arms away from her chest since it's covered by the bubbling water.

"I don't like it when he looks at other girls like that right in front of me. It's disrespectful." Noriko says sullenly as she realizes she's been dating Keigo for awhile now, and he still acts like a horn ball every time he sees another pretty girl, even if it's right in front of her.

"You expect too much out of an idiot like Keigo, that's not a realistic expectation, especially when it comes to Orihime." Chizuru says as she suddenly swims at Noriko, who immediately recovers her chest with her hands when she sees Chizuru advancing on her. Chizuru gives her a little smile as she sees the anxious look appear on Noriko's face.

"What are you doing?" Noriko asks Chizuru nervously as the girl is right in front of her, standing in the water with water dripping down her bare breasts. She looks very confident as she smiles at Noriko with a look of desire spreading over her face.

"Stop being so nervous, I just want to see how good you can kiss. Kiss me." Chizuru says as she gets even closer and she closes her eyes in anticipation. Noriko is shocked. Chizuru settles herself to be sitting on Noriko's lap facing her as she puts both hands on the girl's cheeks.

Noriko doesn't know whether to keep covering her chest or to push the girl off of her, and before she can make a decision, Chizuru leans in and kisses her.

Noriko feels Chizuru's breasts pressing up against her arms and she opens her eyes wide in shock when Chizuru sticks her tongue into her mouth and kisses her deeply. Noriko is astounded that Chizuru constantly tries to make moves like that, without ever giving up.

This is how Keigo finds them. He doesn't say anything, he stares open mouthed at his girlfriend kissing Chizuru in the whirlpool, and his eyes widen when Chizuru's hands come off of Noriko's face and she successfully shoves Noriko's arms away from her breasts as she keeps on kissing her.

Noriko's arms slide around the other girl, and she gives into the passionate kiss causing Chizuru to get all excited. Keigo sheds his trunks and hops into the tub with the two topless girls.

They girls pull away from each other in surprise when they hear him enter the whirlpool and then they see him grinning at them excitedly.

"Let me join in." Keigo says quietly. Noriko's eyes bulge at having been caught experimenting with the forever forward Chizuru while they're both topless in the whirlpool and she can't even speak as Keigo settles himself next to them and puts one hand on each girl's back.

Chizuru shrugs and places her hands on Noriko's breasts before she leans in to kiss the shocked girl again. Keigo lets one hand drop to Chizuru's ass as he watches them kiss excitedly.

Then he takes his other hand off of Noriko's back to grope Chizuru's breasts, which he'd gotten a good grip of at Inoue's party under the mistletoe as he'd kissed Noriko.

Chizuru doesn't seem to notices that Keigo's hands are all over her, in her mind she believes it's Noriko.

When Rukia and Ichigo peek into the other side of the gym, they're both horrified to see the three way action going on and they quickly tell everyone to stay away from the whirlpool until the three get back.

"Now is the perfect chance to play Marco Polo!" Rukia says excitedly to Ichigo, who nods.

"Yeah, with the most immature people are gone, now is probably the best time." He agrees, as Rukia explains the game to their friends.

They decide to let Rukia be the one who chases after everyone first, and when she catches Tatsuki, she hears the girl squeal and giggle as she is now the one who is it. Every once in awhile, someone will yell,_ no peeking_!

Tatsuki instantly starts hunting for Renji's voice, but she's foiled from catching him when he swims behind Sado, and Tatsuki ands up diving and wrapping her arms around Sado to make it his turn.

Tatsuki had blushed, as had Sado at the way she'd attacked him, thinking he was Renji, but they got over it fairly quickly, and Sado quickly located Mizuiro and it was his turn next.

They keep playing the game, with a lot of laughs and fun going around the pool until Keigo returns from the men's side of the dressing room with a big fat smile on his face.

He wiggles his eyebrows at his friends, who try hard to ignore him. Chizuru and Noriko emerge from the girl's side a few minutes later.

Chizuru's expression is similar to Keigo's, and Noriko's expression is one of embarrassment as she looks around and realizes everyone in the room was aware that the three of them were in the whirlpool together. She refuses to meet anybody's gaze.

Rukia can't figure out what on earth could have happened that would have Keigo and Chizuru so happy since she's fairly certain she saw Keigo all over Chizuru when she had looked in, but she's quite sure she doesn't want to know the details.

The party goes on for several hours until everyone finally starts to decide it's time to head home. Several people pitch in and help Rukia clean up the pool room, and everyone thanks her for showing them a good time.

After everyone leaves, Rukia and Ichigo decide to make love in the girls dressing room shower, with the water running over their bodies.

It ends up being a very nice and blissful evening, because after they make love, they both soap up and lather each other, enjoying the intimate act of helping each other bathe.

"We should bathe like this everyday when we get married," Rukia tells him as she watches him lather her calves.

"I agree, it's much nicer to have you rubbing soap all over my body and to rub your body with soap instead of my own." Ichigo tells her as he works his way up her sexy legs.

"And now we have permission to begin planning our wedding, I'm so happy right now." Rukia tells him with excitement.

"Me too, I am glad I won't have to wait quite as long to be able to call you my wife, finally." Ichigo tells her with a grin.

"It's a dream come true." Rukia agrees.

They finish bathing and dry each other off before they head home to get some much needed rest for the next day's activities.

J J J J

Rukia doesn't bother trying to go to sleep, instead she waits for it to become late enough that she can sneak over to Ichigo's house. She calls him before she comes over, and he tells her to come over without hesitation.

She makes her way over to his house and silently climbs the stairs and enters his bedroom. Ichigo is sitting up and waiting for her.

"Did you have a bad dream?" He asks her softly. Rukia shakes her head no.

"I haven't even tried to go to sleep. I didn't want to experience that nightmare. Today has been a really great day, and I thought, why spoil it?" Rukia answers in a quiet voice. She sits next to him on the bed.

"I've been thinking about your dreams, and what you might be able to do to get rid of them," Ichigo tells her softly, causing Rukia to look at him in a bit of surprise.

"You have? They must really get to you too." Rukia says, feeling bad even as she makes that observation.

"Only because they bother you so much." Ichigo tells her softly.

"My solution is to sleep with you every night." Rukia tells him with a firm look in her eyes.

"You're going to get caught doing that, eventually." Ichigo warns her with a look.

"I don't care if we have to inform your father of the truth, I'm not going to keep having those dreams. The last one was the very last straw." Rukia tells him as she crosses her arms as if daring him to argue. Ichigo smiles at the stubborn set of her jaw and the firm look in her eyes.

"It seems like you've got your mind set." Ichigo says with a grin.

"I do have it set. I'm going to cuddle up real close to you and fall asleep to the sound of your heartbeat against my ears. Then I'll really get some decent rest." Rukia tells him as she hugs him.

"I'm happy to help." Ichigo tells her solemnly as he lays down to get comfortable. Rukia adjusts herself so that she's comfortably in his arms and smiles when she can hear his heart beat against her ear.

"I love you, Ichigo." Rukia whispers softly.

"I love you, Rukia." Ichigo whispers back before he kisses the top of her head very gently.

He has every intention of falling asleep like normal, but she starts to squirm restlessly in his arms, and finally he pulls her in for a long lingering kiss. She responds with a lot of enthusiasm and Ichigo wants to smile. She's such a lovebird. She finally settles down after that amazing kiss.

Rukia has her first really good dream in a long while, since lately she's been sleeping dreamlessly whenever she's with Ichigo.

Ichigo is dressed up as an Easter bunny in her dream and she's running around her house chasing him as he hops like a bunny away from her while she laughs. Rukia is in a blue silk nightgown that only barely covers her butt.

Rukia doesn't run her fastest, since it's fun just to follow the big sexy bunny wherever he hops. When she finally decides it's time to catch him, she waits until he's in the bedroom and she jumps on him. She removes his bunny head and kisses him like crazy.

"I've never seen a rabbit I wanted to capture more than you," Rukia tells him with a smile as she plants another kiss on his face.

"You have to dress up as the tooth fairy, that was our deal!" Ichigo tells her as he yanks her down for another kiss.

"I'm making love to you first." Rukia informs him as she unzips the bunny costume and he steps out wearing a pear of white silk boxers. "Damn Ichigo, you look totally fine." Rukia tells him as she stares at him in his white boxers.

"What kinds of dirty things are you going to do with me?" Ichigo asks her with a look of excited anticipation.

"Really naughty things." Rukia says as she circles around him and inspects him from every angle. She smacks his delicious butt and grins up at him.

"I can't wait," Ichigo murmurs as he leans down to kiss her again. Rukia reaches around to keep squeezing his delectable butt as he gives her a really deep and long kiss.

"After I dress up as the tooth fairy, you could dress up like Santa and I could dress like his wife!" Rukia tells him with a happy grin.

"I think you'd look sexy in a red and white dress, especially if it was really short," Ichigo says before he kisses her again.

"You like the short dresses don't you?" Rukia asks him with a smile after they pull away.

"With legs like yours, how could I not?" Ichigo asks her as she removes his boxers.

"You're always checking out my legs," Rukia teases him as she runs her hands up and down his chest and stomach.

"I check out all of your assets." Ichigo tells her with a grin as he lets her run her hands over his body.

"I like it when you do that." Rukia whispers softly.

"I know," Ichigo whispers softly, causing Rukia to giggle.

"Am I that obvious?" She asks him as she kisses his neck and chest playfully.

"A little bit," Ichigo admits as he laughs because she tickles his side.

"What about you? What do you like?" Rukia asks him curiously.

"To have you against me completely naked. It makes me feel so close to you." Ichigo tells her with a smile. Rukia nods her agreement with that sentiment. She understands exactly what he means.

"What else?" Rukia asks him curiously.

"I really like it when you kiss and touch me. It drives me more crazy than you even realize." He whispers softly as he pulls her down for another kiss. Rukia happily obliges him and kisses him back passionately.

"I like that too," Rukia says when she finally pulls away to catch her breath.

She makes love to him in her dream before she wakes up in his arms. It's strange though, because his eyes flutter open right after hers do.

"Rukia." Ichigo says it softly as he stares at her.

"Hmm?" Rukia asks as she looks at him happily.

"I had a strange dream with you and me." He says in a weird voice.

"I had a wonderful dream with you and me," Rukia replies as she leans over to kiss his cheek.

"It would have been wonderful if I weren't dressed up in a stupid rabbit costume to start with." Ichigo grumbles even as he remembers the much nicer moments of the dream.

"Rabbit costume?" Rukia asks as her eyes widen.

"Yeah. It was so lame. You were chasing me, but then it got better when you tackled me and took off the offensive costume. Then you were all over me," Ichigo says with a happy look in his eyes.

"You lie." Rukia says as she stares at him wide eyed.

"Why in the hell would I lie about that?" He asks her in total confusion as he looks into her shocked eyes.

"I had the same exact dream." Rukia tells him softly.

"No way. Don't even kid around like that." Ichigo tells her, even as he searches her face and realizes she's not kidding.

"I swear it, Ichigo. I had the exact same dream as you, remember telling me I'd have to dress up like the tooth fairy?" Rukia asks him with a lifted eyebrow. Ichigo gasps.

"Holy shit, this is too weird." Ichigo says as he stares into her eyes. Rukia can hardly believe it either. This hasn't ever happened before, not with him.

"I'll take mutual dreams with you over Aizen any day, and I mean any day." Rukia tells him adamantly.

"Still, to actually experience it for myself with you, just makes it that much more freaky. Now I know what you've been experiencing with Aizen this whole time. That dream sure felt real." Ichigo tells her quietly.

"It was kind of weird, since lately I haven't been dreaming at all when I sleep with you," Rukia tells him as she thinks about it.

"It's you who put me in that rabbit suit." Ichigo grumbles as he blushes at the memory of hopping away from her as she chased him. Why at the time it had seemed fun, he didn't know, but he's embarrassed about it now.

"You looked so sexy in it though," Rukia says with a smile. Ichigo rolls his eyes and glances at the clock.

"We have to get you out of here now, everyone is going to start waking up soon." Ichigo tells her nervously.

"Okay, take me home." Rukia tells him as they both crawl out of his bed.

"It won't be too much longer until we can stay in bed without having to part in the morning," Ichigo tells her with a smile. Rukia smiles back.

"I know. Do you have any special preferences for our wedding?" Rukia asks him with a grin.

"I prefer a happy bride. Whatever makes you happy will make me happy." Ichigo tells her with a grin before he opens his bedroom door.

"You're so sweet," Rukia whispers as they head out of his room.

When Rukia gets back to her house, she reflects again on the dream that she had with Ichigo. It seems like she was the one who controlled the way that dream went. It hadn't felt like she'd been in control, but Ichigo's objection to the rabbit costume was enough to make her believe that was the case.

_It was such a nice dream in comparison to the ones that I've been having lately. It was a much needed break. I wonder if Aizen is pissed since he couldn't break into my mind last night. I won't let him in tomorrow or the next day either. After the interview today, I'm going to try to put Aizen out of my mind._

Rukia sits in her room with her jeweled combs, and she runs them through her hair as she starts to imagine the perfect wedding with Ichigo. She thinks about that for quite awhile before she starts to get nervous about the impending interview that she and Ichigo are supposed to attend later in the day. It's kind of nerve wrecking that she's probably going to be broadcast all around Japan.

It reminds her of a dream she had months ago, where she had been surrounded by reporters who wanted to know her story. Rukia shivers at the accuracy of that particular dream. She decides to think about her gymnastics.

She only has a few more months until her next gymnastics competition, and she wants to get the difficulty level of her routines up a couple of more notches. That means more difficult and risky moves than what she's already performing. Her coach believes she can get herself up to par with Olympic champions if she buckles down more and really focuses on her gymnastics.

Rukia thinks she's already performing at a high level of difficulty, but she does think she can learn some more difficult moves. Ichigo has been a wonderful and dependable spotter, so maybe she should take that leap, and attempt some higher difficulty moves in the presence of her coach today. He'll certainly be happy if she takes the initiative to do so.

She has begun to notice that on every apparatus except for the floors, Ichigo's expression always looks tense as she performs. She knows he's terrified she'll go flying head first into the ground or something and he always keeps an eagle eye on her.

_I won't focus so much on Aizen. I'll focus on my surroundings as always, I'll focus on Ichigo as always, and I'll focus even more on my gymnastics._

Rukia smiles. Today she turns over a new leaf. Only she will control her life, and that includes not letting Aizen control her dreams.


	47. Chapter 46: Fifteen Minutes Of Fame

Chapter 46

_Fifteen Minutes Of Fame_

Gymnastics practice with Rukia's coach flies by. Rukia had indeed tried to raise her difficulty level, and her coach had been very pleased at her apparent focus and her desire to buckle down to really become a contender in the next competition.

"These are the kinds of performances that can get you noticed for bigger competitions," her coach had said while smiling.

Rukia had smiled at her coach's enthusiasm and had done a fairly decent job of ignoring Ichigo's stressed out faces at some of the moves she and her coach discuss her trying. For Rukia, it's refreshing. It feels like lately she's just been going through the motions of her gymnastics rather than really feeling her performances down to the bottom of her heart.

Today she successfully accomplished putting her heart into her practice and her coach had noticed. When the hard day of practice finally ends, and Rukia showers, she realizes they only have half an hour to get to the news station She quickly yanks Ichigo out the door and to the waiting car. She brushes her hair furiously in the car.

They arrive in plenty of time, and they're quickly ushered to a waiting room for their interview to begin. Ichigo and Rukia sit there smiling and holding hands.

Hopefully after this interview, they'll finally get the reporters away from their house. After all, the questions will have been answered. Then the community can move on to the next juicy topic.

When they're finally led into the studio where they'll be taping, Rukia suddenly starts feeling nervous and she's glad she insisted that Ichigo join her. It's the only way she'll keep her cool.

She takes deep breaths as they're seated in next to each other and they wait for the woman who's supposed to interview them to come out into the studio. Ichigo grabs Rukia's hand and she squeezes it gratefully.

Within a couple of minutes the news woman is seated in a chair about a meter across from them as they prepare to begin the interview. They watch as she energetically introduces herself to the camera before she looks back at the two of them.

"We are here today with Kuchiki Rukia and Kurosaki Ichigo, the teenagers responsible for bringing the truth to light in regards to Aizen Sousuke, a former professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. The question on everyone's mind is how did the two of you stop him?" The woman asks as she leans towards him.

"It was definitely a joint effort." Rukia tells the woman softly as the cameras zoom in on her.

"She had a very bad dream and asked me to sit with her while she slept. When I heard footsteps coming up to her room, I hid in the closet, until I realized the footsteps weren't leaving." Ichigo explains softly. They had already agreed to tell it like this.

"To be more precise, I had a very bad dream involving his former victim Hinamori Momo." Rukia tells the wide eyed reporter.

"Really?" She asks in disbelief.

"Yes. The girl appeared in my dreams to tell me he was coming to get me that night, which is why I called my fiancé to sit with me." Rukia tells the woman, who sits back in her chair.

"This story gets more interesting by the moment. So what happened next?" She asks in curiosity.

"I peeked out the closet door to find the professor leaning over Rukia, and I confronted him." Ichigo tells the woman, who gasps and looks at him with big round eyes. "He decided to stick me with the syringe that he had in his hand, which I hadn't seen. I immediately punched him in the face and then I blacked out due to him injecting me." Ichigo replies to the woman.

"However, his punch woke me up, and because he didn't have the syringe to put me to sleep, I was actually able to subdue him enough to be able to call over his father, who helped me keep the professor under control so that I could call the police." Rukia explains softly. "If he hadn't taken the injection that was meant for me, I might not be here now." Rukia tells the woman softly.

"We heard from the police that you actually inflicted quite a bit of damage on the professor. Is it true you slashed him across the face?" The woman asks Rukia curiously.

"That is absolutely true. He was trying to tackle me onto the bed and so I slashed him across the face." Rukia says with a firm nod of her head.

"We were also told that you provided the police great detail on how to locate the other girl that the professor had in his care." The woman tells Rukia, who smiles weakly at her.

"He was very talkative while he tried to attack me, describing to me what he'd done to her, and what he planned to do to me. He wanted to see me afraid, which is why he told me so much. He never expected that the information he gave me would go from my lips to the police, or to you for that matter." Rukia says softly.

"What would you say to the families of the other victims, if you knew they were watching right now." The woman asks her. Ichigo is shocked to see Rukia's eyes fill up with tears of sorrow for the other families so instantly.

"I would want to say how terribly sorry I am that their families have endured so much tragedy, and that no young woman should experience what the girls in Aizen's clutches had to endure. I know I can offer no real comfort, in light of the events that occurred, but I believe strongly in my heart that there has been enough suffering. I believe the girls who were victimized would like to see their families find peace, difficult as it may be to come to terms with. I'm only sorry that I couldn't help catch him sooner." Rukia says into the camera as tears pour down her cheeks.

"What would you like to say to Aizen?" The reporter asks, and Ichigo takes over.

"I'd like to say something to him." Ichigo says before he looks directly into the camera. "You aren't as smart as you thought you were, are you?" Ichigo says in a snide voice. "The whole world will be better off when you are dead." Ichigo finishes up in a cold voice.

"It seems the general public agrees with you. The types of crimes he committed are an outrage to the community," the reporter says with a nod.

"I would hope so," Rukia says with a sniffle.

"We have a few more questions for you though, you mentioned you were engaged. When do you two plan to get married?" The woman asks with a big smile as she looks intently at the couple in front of her.

"Next year in the summer," Rukia answers softly, causing the reporter to smile hugely.

"We're also curious to know if you study any special style of fighting since you recently came through so many attempted kidnappings unscathed," the reporter says to Rukia.

"I'm a gymnast, but I've also studied kickboxing and ju-jitsu." Rukia answers her evasively. The reporter looks over at Ichigo.

"What about you?" She asks him as she admires his bright orange hair.

"I study martial arts. I am proficient in karate." Ichigo answers the woman who nods her head energetically.

"We heard that the professor was actually a guest in your home," the reporter tells Rukia, who ducks her head a bit.

"Naturally we thought that he was a trustworthy man seeing as how his reputation was spotless as a sensei at the Tokyo Institute of Technology." Rukia says, defending the fact that the sick bastard had been welcomed into her home.

"Did he say anything about the blind man in his residence?" The woman asks Rukia next. Rukia shakes her head yes.

"He did, but since Tara is still alive, it's up to her to disclose to the police the truth and facts surrounding that man." Rukia says apologetically. "We'd like to let her decide how much she wants to reveal. It's not my place to repeat the professor's sick and twisted words in regards to her." Rukia says with finality in her voice.

J J J J

"Jeez. Every time I thought she had asked her last question, she had another one ready for us." Ichigo says with a scowl. They had been stuck in the interview for about two hours.

"I know, even though she had her story in the first twenty minutes. I wonder how it will come out in the end. We should call Renji and Tatsuki to give us a hand with our homework so that we can watch the interview." Rukia tells him as she pulls out her new cell phone.

Ichigo grins at that. He's sure with Tatsuki and Renji's help, they'll get their work from last week finished a lot sooner, and not have double the work all week long.

He finds himself not paying attention to Rukia's phone call in the car, since he's busy reflecting on the fact that he and Rukia had the exact same dream the night before.

She had been so scantily clad in his dream, that had been his favorite part of the dream. She had looked so cute in her skimpy lingerie when she had been chasing him in the infernal rabbit costume.

He finds that he's extremely relieved that Aizen had been unable to break into their lighthearted dream of foreplay and sex. He doesn't even want to imagine what it would have been like to be stuck with her in one of her terrifying nightmares where Aizen has complete control over her body.

He's even more disturbed by her past dreams now that he's experienced the dream world with her. No wonder she had been a wreck on those nights when she'd had those dreams, since the nice dream he'd shared with her still freaks him out a bit.

Rukia takes his hand and he realizes she's off the phone.

"Are they coming over?" Ichigo asks her quietly. Rukia nods her head yes.

"Tatsuki's work will probably be a bit more help since Renji is in a different class, but they should be at your house shortly after we arrive there," Rukia tells him as she squeezes his hand.

"I wonder if everyone at school will see the interview," Ichigo says to her with his eyes looking worried.

"I wonder if the families of the victims will see it," Rukia responds, and they both gaze out the window, wondering what will happen next.

J J J J

Toushirou stares at the television screen with the young girl and her fiancé being interviewed.

He had been absolutely shocked to learn that the girl who stopped the professor, had dreams about his sister.

_I've seen her in my dreams too, except we never talked. All I could do was cry. What does this girl know about Momo? Anything?_

Toushirou had been adopted by his aunt and uncle when his parents died at the age of six. His mom and Momo's mom were identical twin sisters. Toushirou had been allowed to keep his birth father's given name since he'd asked to do so at the time of the adoption.

Even though they have a different name, and they're technically his aunt and uncle, they feel like his parents, after so many years of them raising him. He refers to them as though they're his parents.

He had naturally fallen into calling his aunt mom, since she looked exactly like his mother, and sounded like her too. A lot of people who aren't adopted don't understand how he can consider them his parents when they're clearly not, but they became his parents when they began raising him. It was always easy for him to understand, and not so easy for others to do so.

He doesn't usually dwell on the different names, and Momo was as much his sister as any natural siblings are, which is why her death has taken such a toll on him. Particularly the details that have been disclosed to the family, Toushirou greatly wishes that he could be the one to end Aizen's life.

He watches the girl on the screen and wonders if she really did see his sister. His parents are sitting with him, but they don't seem as involved in the story as Toushirou is.

"When are you going to go see her?" Toushirou asks them with a raised eyebrow. His parents look totally blank as they stare at him.

"Who?" His mom asks him softly. Toushirou points at the television screen.

"Her. She's the one who stopped Momo's killer from continuing on with his evil deeds." Toushirou says with wide eyes.

"I wasn't going to see her," his mom answers as a sad tear falls down her cheek.

"I'd like to see her. She said that she had dreams of Momo. That Momo helped to protect her from being caught too. I would like to also give those two who stopped the professor the reward money that we had for information on Momo." Toushirou tells them in an even voice.

"I'm not so sure-" his mom starts to turn him down but Toushirou interrupts her angrily.

"Momo would have wanted us to do this! We should reward the people who stopped her killer from torturing even more people, in honor of Momo's memory!" Toushirou snaps, causing his mother's eyes to open very widely.

"In honor of her memory?" His mother whispers, as more tears fall down her face.

"Even though she had an undignified death, and an undignified burial, we don't have to focus on that! I know that if bad things happened and I died, I wouldn't want you focusing on that either! I'm sure Momo's dying wish was to have that evil man stopped, and we should reward the people who made it happen. It's what I feel!" Toushirou says as a few tears fall down his face. His mother opens up her arms, and Toushirou falls into them.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking of it like that," she whispers as she holds him tight.

"It's okay mom, you're caught up in your grief. I am still feeling it really strongly myself." Toushirou admits into her shoulder as he lets the tears fall freely crying and holding his mother close to help try and comfort her.

"You really are a good brother," she whispers into his ear, and that just makes Toushirou cry even harder. His father watches them, with quivering eyebrows.

"My daughter was treated horribly by that man, and she died under extreme torture and pain. I want him hanged." He whispers as he watches the family grieve. The whole family had been torn apart by one person who made life on earth a living hell. He knows he'll never be the same.

J J J J

Three weeks. That's all it will be until Rukia and Ichigo's weapons are completed. Byakuya decides that it's too long to have them remain fully unarmed, and he decides he'll meet up with them at the gym, and he'll let Rukia borrow his own fan, and he'll let Ichigo borrow his own three section staff.

Now that they've done the interview, he feels like time is even more of the essence. He doesn't like that his sister's dreams seem to be invaded by the same man who thought to abduct her in order to make her into his own sex slave. It's damned infuriating to think that the professor had gotten away with it as many times as he did without ever even being suspected of anything.

He has already located one of the most renown wedding planners in Japan to assist Rukia on planning her wedding. The woman is supposed to be in Karakura Town to meet the couple next weekend. Byakuya can hardly believe how quickly everything has changed. One year ago, Rukia had just barely turned fifteen, and she had still seemed like a girl back then, but then the instant she returned to his mansion in the summer, she had matured and blossomed so quickly.

She's nearly the spitting image of Hisana, and if not for their huge personality differences, he might think he was staring at Hisana when he looked at Rukia.

Rukia is nothing like Hisana though. Hisana had not been terribly athletic, though she had managed well enough the night she had escaped with Rukia when running for their lives. Hisana had almost never been outspoken, unless it was about her little sister, that was the only time she made demands, and acted like she made the decisions. Hisana had certainly never been very confrontational, and Rukia's always ready to argue.

In personalities, they're as different as day and night, yet they look so amazingly similar to one another. There have been a couple of times where an associate would see Hisana's picture and mistake it for a picture of Rukia.

Byakuya has never corrected anybody, because he prefers not to have uncomfortable conversations with people about his late wife. Besides, she had been nearly as young as Rukia is now in the pictures that he has of her. It's not unreasonable for people to mistake his wife for his sister, considering how similarly they look.

If you put Hisana's seventeenth birthday picture next to Rukia's sixteenth birthday picture, you would swear they were identical twins. Byakuya had an extremely difficult time accepting the similarities between their looks when it started to become apparent that Rukia would closely resemble Hisana. Plenty of people had thought Rukia was their daughter due to their appearance. Now that she looks nearly identical, he finally accepts it. It was far easier than he'd thought it would be, probably since Rukia is so different from Hisana.

_I won't fail. Between the Kurosaki family and myself, she will remain safe and protected._

J J J J

"I saw you on the news last night, Kuchiki-san!" Inoue calls out as she, Tatsuki, Ishida, and Renji hurry to catch up to the couple on their way to class. Rukia and Ichigo stop and wait for the group to catch up with them.

"I saw it too. What a terrifying man you had to confront." Ishida says as he pushes up his glasses.

"You looked good on television." Tatsuki tells Rukia with a grin. Rukia smiles. Renji and Tatsuki had actually stayed over after helping with homework and had watched the interview with Rukia and Ichigo.

"What was it like, being interviewed for television?" Inoue asks excitedly.

"It took a lot longer than I anticipated it would take," Ichigo grumbles as he remembers how they spent hours being asked questions by that woman. There had been an upside though, they had indeed been paid for their interview.

They had each received twenty thousand yen. Ichigo had immediately handed over fifteen thousand of it to his father when he had finally seen him last night. Isshin had been surprised but had grinned at Ichigo and told him he was actually ahead of the payments at the moment. Ichigo was surprised to learn he had given Isshin more money that Isshin has given the jeweler so far.

"Everyone will be talking about it today, I'm sure." Tatsuki says, pulling Ichigo away from his thoughts.

"Jeez, I hope not," Rukia says with a sigh of exasperation.

"You should be used to being the center of attention by now. You're still the most popular girl in school." Renji tells her with a grin. Tatsuki nods.

"He's right. Nobody has forgotten the way you slapped Noriko at the beginning of the school year. Even though the two of you appear not to have any issues now, a lot of people can't stand her and they hope you get pissed at her again so that they can watch you whoop her ass." Tatsuki says with a small laugh.

"She doesn't bother me anymore." Rukia says with a grin.

"Rukia barely even pays her any attention. We wouldn't have to see her at all if she weren't dating Keigo." Ichigo says nonchalantly.

"I still don't quite understand how they went from being mortal enemies to being a serious couple," Tatsuki says with a laugh.

They start seeing other students as they are approaching closer to the school, and Rukia can tell a lot of kids saw her on the news the night before.

"It's starting," Rukia mutters at Ichigo self-consciously.

"Ignore them. Pay them no attention and they'll get bored of it soon enough," Ichigo says supportively.

"Way to think positively, even if it isn't very realistic." Tatsuki says with a look of doubt at Ichigo's words.

"Thanks," Rukia says with a sigh to Tatsuki, who giggles at Rukia's forlorn expression.

"You are a hero, after all. You avenged the man who drugged up Ichigo!" Tatsuki says, causing Ichigo to turn red in horror.

"I hope that's not what's being said." Ichigo can't stand how pathetic that makes him sound.

"Blow to the old ego, eh?" Tatsuki says, smiling at the pair.

"Maybe a little." Ichigo admits, and everyone laughs.

"Ichigo dropped him to the floor in one punch." Rukia says as she looks up at Ichigo gratefully. "Ichigo's role was very important, in keeping me alive and safe." Rukia says softly to everyone.

"Everybody is staring." Ishida says as he glances around. Ichigo glares at him.

"Gee, thanks for reminding us." Ichigo tells him sarcastically.

"Sorry, I'm just not used to having so many eyes looking in my direction. It's hard not to notice it," Ishida says, as he tries not to smile at Ichigo's tone of voice.

"Whatever," Ichigo grumbles with an aggravated tone.

They make their way to class and it's like déjà vu for Rukia, being at the focus of everybody's attention in school.

The day passes by very slowly.

When they usual crowd makes their way to the gym, everyone is shocked to find Byakuya waiting for them there. Rukia rushes over to her brother, and Ichigo warns Tatsuki and Sado of who he is.

Rukia quickly opens the gym and a couple of servants exit Byakuya's chauffeured car carrying some bags. Everyone watches in silence and a bit of amazement and they walk slowly towards the open door where Rukia and her brother just disappeared inside.

"He sure does seem like someone important," Tatsuki whispers as they walk in. Byakuya notices Ichigo and motions him to come over. Ichigo looks at their friends.

"Go ahead and do your normal thing. I'm being beckoned." Ichigo tells them before he jogs over to Rukia and her brother.

"Ni-sama brought us weapons to use until ours are finished being made. He thinks it's better to be safe than to be sorry. We're also going to be doing training today." Rukia tells him quickly. Ichigo nods.

"It occurred to me that the interview was a really good opportunity for any assassin to get a good look at the two of you, if they hadn't already gotten a good look at you from the sparse amount of video that was provided." Byakuya says in an emotionless voice.

"I won't mind keeping this iron fan on me, I could get used to this." Rukia says as she once again admires the beauty of it.

"I want the two of you to go ahead and stretch out, and then practice your movements and rotations. Rukia, you're proficient at snapping open the fan, now I'm going to have you practice deflecting a hit. It will just be basic, to get you used to the feel of actually using it for defense." Byakuya tells her quietly.

"Okay." Rukia says as she begins to stretch.

"When you finish stretching, practice your regular moves with the three section staff, and we'll work on the same thing after I work with Rukia a bit." Byakuya tells him. Ichigo nods at that order and sits down next to Rukia who's reaching forward to her toes.

Even though Ichigo knows her brother has the very best of intentions, he also has the tendency to suck all of the joy and happiness out of the atmosphere whenever he's around.

Ichigo usually really enjoys the time he spends with Rukia at the gym. It's been amazing getting to see her constantly grow as a gymnast and work out with her for martial arts.

Now he just feels pretty tense with Byakuya around, even though Rukia seems comfortable enough. It seems like her feelings towards her brother have definitely warmed up in the past several months.

She has told him many times that he never used to pay attention to her, but he seems to be pretty focused on her now, and Ichigo can tell that it makes her happy. He doesn't exactly know what precisely caused the turn around, but he suspects that Hisana's death has a lot to do with why Byakuya found it hard to be around his sister much in the past.

Ichigo can't pinpoint what in Byakuya has changed to make him see her differently, but he's very glad for it, since it makes her very happy.

"You look like you're deep in thought," Rukia whispers at him as they stretch.

"The idea of assassins and stuff," Ichigo says evasively. Rukia continues stretching.

"We'll just pay attention and make sure we get a really good workout," Rukia tells him optimistically.

"Yeah." Ichigo says as he loosens his arms up by shaking them.

_It's all we can do. For now._

J J J J

Valentine's Day approaches fast and Rukia decides to get Ichigo a very expensive and delicious chocolate cake. She also accepts the girls offer to make chocolate together and she decides to give that to Ichigo as well.

It ends up being a blast to make the chocolate with her friends, and Ichigo uses the evening to go watch Sado's band perform. He would have brought Rukia with him, in fact he wanted to, but when she had told him she had plans with the girls, he had understood.

On Valentine's Day, Ichigo is overwhelmed at the amount of chocolate that Rukia gives him. He absolutely loves the cake that she bought, and he makes her eat some with him, but he'll only let her eat it out of his fingers. He loves it when she licks his fingers clean. It makes his hand tingle when her tongue darts over his fingers to get all of the chocolate.

He spends hours kissing her, and when it comes time for her to go home, Ichigo goes with her and they smile when they realize Shoko's either out or in bed since she isn't in the family room, and Ichigo makes passionate love to Rukia, since he's feeling extra loving due to all of the delicious chocolate in his belly.

Rukia thoroughly enjoyed spending the evening with Ichigo, and it was made better since he didn't leave. He stayed the night in her bed, and they had very sweet dreams together.

J J J J

Rukia and Ichigo are hanging out at her house, to get away from his family when the weekend comes around. He had been getting aggravated and Rukia also had an appointment to meet with the wedding planner.

When Ichigo had met the woman, he'd been surprised at her cheerfulness. It was the only way to describe her. She constantly called them a cute and loving couple, which usually embarrassed Ichigo, but Rukia seems to get along wonderfully with her. It probably helped that upon meeting Rukia, the woman had gushed about how awesome she was for stopping Aizen from harming anymore girls.

When they hear the knock on the door, Ichigo expects it to be the wedding planner, and so he joins Rukia to answer the door. When they open it, they see a boy, a little younger than them with completely white hair and aqua colored eyes. They look at him in surprise.

"Can I help you?" Rukia asks him in a friendly voice.

"My name is Hitsugaya Toushirou. My sister's name was Hinamori Momo." The boy announces, causing Rukia's eyes to widen at hearing that.

"You're her brother?" Rukia asks him in surprise. "She told me that you'd be coming to see me." Rukia says slowly before she steps aside and welcomes him in.

Toushirou steps in slowly as he looks at the two teenagers responsible for the apprehension of his sister's killer.

"She told you I'd come and see you?" Toushirou repeats slowly.

"Yes. She had a message for me to give you. She said she had tried visiting your dreams but had been unable to completely reach you. She told me to tell you not to worry about what happened between you and her on the day she disappeared. She wants you to stop feeling guilty for being mean to her that day." Rukia tells him softly, causing the boy's eyes to widen in surprise.

"She said all of that? Everything you just said?" He asks her quietly. Rukia nods her head.

"Yes. She was very worried about you, and the entire family. She wanted me to make sure I told you that she loves you very much." Rukia tells him in the same soft voice.

Toushirou takes a few deep breaths. He promised himself he wouldn't cry in front of these people. They appear to be looking very sympathetic as they look back at him, waiting for a reaction of some sort, but what in the hell are you supposed to say to something like that?

"Thanks." Toushirou finally says, since nothing else seems appropriate.

"Even though she told me I'd see you, I admit I'm surprised." Rukia says with a small laugh.

"I had a talk with my parents. We made a decision that we would like the two of you to have the reward money for information on my sister. In honor of her memory, we'd like to reward the people responsible for helping get my sister's killer arrested." Toushirou tells them softly as he pulls two envelopes out of his back pocket. He hands one to Rukia, and one to Ichigo.

"I don't know what to say…" Rukia says as she stares at the envelope. She wants to make the kid take his money back, but his family had decided to do it in honor of Hinamori Momo, and she could hardly turn down the gesture. The girl's honor had been casually disregarded enough.

"Thank you very much for your generosity, and I'd also like to offer my condolences for your loss," Ichigo tells Toushirou softly, and the kid jerks his head. He hates how emotional he feels as he looks at these two strong people, who had survived their encounter with his sister's killer.

"I appreciate you giving me my sister's message too. It's comforting to know that she doesn't hold my childish behavior against me." Toushirou tells Rukia awkwardly.

"There's no need to thank me, it was the least I could do for your sister after the way she warned me that I was in trouble." Rukia tells him softly.

There's knocking at the door, and Ichigo walks over to open it so that Rukia doesn't have to walk away from Hinamori Momo's little brother. He expects to see the wedding planner, but once again he is surprised. Karin is at the door. Ichigo's eyes widen.

"What are you doing here?" He asks her with surprise.

"Ichi-ni, what time will you and Rukia open the gym today?" Karin asks him quietly.

"In a couple of hours after Rukia's appointment with the wedding planner," Ichigo tells her, as she suddenly notices the white haired boy in the house. She ignores her brother give the boy a really good inspection. Ichigo rolls his eyes at her lack of etiquette.

"Karin-chan." Rukia says suddenly as she notices Karin in the doorway. Karin ducks under her brother's arm and walks into the house, her eyes barely leaving the boy by Rukia.

Toushirou looks up and sees a girl who's younger than him observing him with great interest.

"This is my little sister." Ichigo says apologetically. Toushirou nods at her.

"Hitsugaya Toushirou." He tells her in a flat voice.

"Kurosaki Karin." Karin says as she admires the unique color of his eyes.

"I'm sorry to visit so suddenly and then leave, but I really do have to get back to my parents. They aren't coping so well." Toushirou tells Rukia and Ichigo before he nods at Karin and walks towards the door.

Karin trails after him and watches him get into a chauffeured car. She stares at the car until it's out of sight.

Ichigo and Rukia exchange glances. This is the first time either of them have ever noticed Karin taking any kind of interest in the opposite sex, and it's weird.


	48. Chapter 47: Breaking News

Chapter 47

_Breaking News_

"No scary assassins have come after us, and everything seems so peaceful." Rukia says with a happy grin to Ichigo.

"Don't jinx the peace. Saying stuff like that makes me feel nervous." Ichigo tells her with a warning look.

"Don't be so superstitious." Rukia tells him with a teasing grin. She feels even more confident lately since she's really gotten the hang of the iron fan. She thinks Ichigo is doing a really good job with the three section staff too. Now in addition to the hidden blades she keeps on her head through her barrettes, she has the iron fan on her person too.

Byakuya had told them they'd have their own weapons in under a week and Rukia was starting to get excited about that. Ichigo was excited too, but he didn't show it as much as Rukia.

Ichigo had been shocked at the amount of money that Hitsugaya Toushirou had given them. Ichigo had been able to finish paying off his father for Rukia's engagement ring and still have plenty to spare.

He had gone shopping for White's Day and he finally bought Rukia a pair of sapphire earrings that will look great with her ring. It's not for a few more weeks, but Ichigo is glad that he has it out of the way, and he hopes she likes the earrings as much as he liked his Valentine's cake.

"Can you believe that the school year is nearly over?" Rukia asks him with the surprise evident in her voice. "Time really flies when I spend it with you." She tells him happily.

"It sure has passed by quickly. I think it's partly because we're always so busy too though. Even though our alone time seems to pass the fastest." Ichigo tells her as they head into her house and up the stairs to her bedroom. Shoko seems to be around less and less these days.

"A lot has happened these past two months." Ichigo says as he reflects on all of the things that have happened recently.

"I'm surprised at how often Byakuya ni-sama comes here for weapons training. I'm a lot further along than I imagined I would be in just over a month." Rukia tells him with a pleased grin.

"We're still only beginners though," Ichigo points out, hoping Byakuya is wrong and no hired assassins come after them. Rukia waves her hand in an unconcerned manner.

"Everyone has to start somewhere," Rukia tells him breezily. "It will be useful to learn these skills and add them to what we already know. We're already both quite deadly with our bare hands." Rukia tells him with a smile.

"You're always so optimistic about everything. I just hope nothing extreme happens where we actually need to make use of these weapons, even though I am getting used to having the staff on me now." Ichigo says contemplatively to her, and he really does hope no assassins come. They're bound to be more experienced with weapons than either of the two of them.

"You look so awesome when you practice with it. Anybody on the receiving end of one of your hits would be left in a serious amount of pain." Rukia tells him with a cheerful grin. She often finds herself getting a bit turned on when she sees him working out with the weapons. She doesn't know why she feels like that, she just does.

"I've seen you admiring me with that look in your eye," Ichigo tells her with a wink. He always likes it whenever she's actively checking him out. It helps him not to feel so bad when he's blatantly checking her out.

"I can't really help it when you look all sexy with it," Rukia tells him. Ichigo grabs her up in his arms and kisses her fervently.

"You turn me on when you say I'm sexy." Ichigo tells her in a husky voice.

"You turn me on being all sexy," Rukia replies with a flirty smile. Ichigo kisses her again, and he gets really aggressive with it.

"I want you." He tells her as he tosses her onto her bed. Rukia smiles up at him after she bounces a bit in landing.

"Come on, Ichigo. Come and get it," Rukia tells him in a teasing voice with a welcoming smile.

Ichigo doesn't need to be told twice. He dives into the bed with her and begins to kiss her passionately.

J J J J

Rukia wakes up in Ichigo's arms and she realizes that they slept most of the evening away. It's dark outside, but Ichigo is still sleeping soundly. Rukia feels a bit hungry and so she heads downstairs to find something to eat.

As she's walking through the downstairs, she suddenly stops.

Rukia feels a strange burning sensation run throughout her entire body. It's a strange feeling, something that she can't ever remember feeling before. She rubs her arms for a moment, but the feeling doesn't come back and so she finds some chips and heads back upstairs.

The moment she gets back into her room, she finds Ichigo awake.

"I was wondering where you had gone." Ichigo tells her as he looks at her intently.

"I was feeling some hunger pains. Want to share some chips with me?" Rukia asks him brightly.

"Yeah." Ichigo says as he looks at her for a moment. He looks a bit unsettled.

"What's wrong?" Rukia asks him as she notes his expression.

"I woke up to a very strange feeling. It's the only way I can describe it," Ichigo says as he shivers at the memory of it. Rukia's mouth drops open.

"I had a strange sensation while I was downstairs too. It's strange that you woke up feeling it too." Rukia tells him as she holds his gaze and wonders about that fact.

"Whatever it was, I don't think that it was good." Ichigo tells her with a warning note in his voice.

"Don't try to scare me," Rukia says as she pops a couple of chips into her mouth. Ichigo rolls his eyes.

"Just stay on guard, okay?" Ichigo says softly. It's Rukia's turn to roll her eyes at him.

"I'm always on guard, Ichigo." Rukia informs him in a superior sounding voice. Ichigo grins and grabs the bag from her hands.

"Good. Glad to hear it." Ichigo tells her before he takes some chips for himself. Rukia smiles before she yanks the bag away from him.

"It is kind of strange that we both felt that strange feeling. I've never felt anything like it before, I'm sure of it." Rukia tells him before she takes some chips and kindly hands him back the bag. Ichigo nods his agreement as he takes the bag from her.

"I know I haven't felt anything like it before either, that's why it concerns me." Ichigo says as he watches her munch on her chips. She's always so darn cute, no matter what she does.

"At least we're together. I would probably be more worried if I wasn't in the same house with you when I felt that weird feeling." Rukia tells him before she realizes she never grabbed a drink. "Damn." Rukia mutters.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asks her, as she jumps up.

"I forgot to bring something to drink back up!" Rukia says as she bounds out of the room and down the stairs. Ichigo just sits in her bed, deep in thought as he tries to comprehend what he just felt.

_Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't good._

J J J J

The next time they're at the gym, Rukia finally confides in Tatsuki about why she can't sleep unless she's with Ichigo.

Since Rukia had already told Tatsuki about her dreams with Momo back when they happened, before Aizen had attacked her, she decided to tell her about what tricks Aizen had pulled on her with her own dreams.

Tatsuki had looked at her in horror when Rukia had described the extent of control that Aizen had over the situations and her body whenever she fell asleep without Ichigo being next to her.

"Are you kidding me, I didn't even know something like that was even possible." Tatsuki had said after hearing all that Rukia had to tell her. She thinks it's even creepier than dreaming about the dead girl.

"Ichigo and ni-sama said the exact same thing when I first told them about it, too." Rukia tells her friend as they sit together in the sauna.

"But to think that he even had that kind of control over your body. I wouldn't want to fall asleep to that either," Tatsuki says to her with a visible shiver.

"It's been kind of difficult, but since I've been sleeping next to Ichigo every night since we arrived back from my brother's after the Aizen incident." Rukia confides with a victorious grin.

"Do these terrible dreams have anything to do with why you pushed up the wedding to be married as students rather than as graduates?" Tatsuki asks her with a lifted eyebrow.

"Yeah, maybe a small part of it. Remember I had dreams of Hinamori Momo, and she's dead. I only sleep well next to Ichigo and our last year of school in Karakura Town is sure to be a really rough one. Both of us are anxious to get married and start living our lives together." Rukia tells her as she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.

"That's pretty obvious. The truth is, I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with Renji. I wonder if he feels that way about me." Tatsuki says with a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Rukia's eyes pop open.

"Have you told him that?" Rukia asks with an excited grin. Tatsuki laughs at Rukia's expression.

"Hell no. I may be tough, but I'm not good at emotional confessions. It's not really my style." Tatsuki says as she blushes at the thought of confessing to Renji that she imagines marrying him.

"You two are so cute, you'll be a lot happier when you just give in to all of those feelings and confessions. Just let all of your emotions loose." Rukia tells her as she spreads her arms out wide in a gesture of freedom.

"You don't understand it at all," Tatsuki says with a shake of her head. Rukia disagrees and shakes her head back at Tatsuki.

"Just bare your soul to him." Rukia instructs her, causing Tatsuki to giggle.

"You look so funny when you say that with your arms spread out like that, Tatsuki says as she laughs at her friend's expression. Rukia shakes a finger at her and gives her a serious look.

"You're not supposed to mock love." Rukia tells her, and Tatsuki glances at her friend and her serious expression.

"I should probably listen to you, since you and Ichigo seem to have the picture perfect relationship." Tatsuki says with a defeated smile.

"Yours is pretty perfect too, which is why you shouldn't be afraid to tell Renji how you feel. Who knows, maybe he's having the exact same thoughts about you, that you're having about him!" Rukia says as she remembers how the two went from friends to a couple.

"Get your head out of the clouds. You're so drunk on Ichigo, you have forgotten what reality is like for the rest of us." Tatsuki tells her with a smirk. Rukia grins back.

"That's an interesting way of putting it, and I won't deny that it's true. I'm hooked on the orange haired hunk." Rukia says to Tatsuki with a proud smile. Tatsuki can't help but to smile at that.

"Well, you definitely bring out all of his best qualities. He wasn't nearly as social last year, and he definitely wasn't at all happy. There was a huge change all around when you came to town. It's had a magical effect on his personality, that's for sure." Tatsuki says with a nod before she picks up her bottled water which she had placed next to herself. She takes a big gulp and grins again at Rukia.

"Yuzu has said some very similar things." Rukia tells Tatsuki, who nods immediately in understanding.

"They _are_ the ones who have to live with him, so I'm not really surprised." Tatsuki says with a smile. Yuzu has always been extra perceptive when it comes to other people's feelings.

"I'm really glad, though. I wouldn't want any other girl making him feel the way I make him feel. I'm lucky he's not a sick pervert like Keigo. He's as charming now to me as he was when he was a child." Rukia tells her softly, with a nostalgic smile.

The girls finally stand to leave the sauna, and Tatsuki smiles as she remembers what Ichigo was like as a child. She would never tell Rukia this, but he had been so terribly weak. Tatsuki has no idea that Rukia was putting him into headlocks at a younger age than Tatsuki was when she was kicking his ass.

They see Karin in the dressing room, and she seems a little bit blue. Rukia and Tatsuki exchange glances before looking back at Ichigo's sister.

"What's wrong?" Rukia asks her the moment she looks back at her. Karin looks up at her with big curious eyes.

"Who was that boy that was over your house? The one with the white hair?" Karin asks Rukia, and she earns a look of shock from Tatsuki, since she misinterprets what Karin was asking. Karin stares at Rukia as she waits for an answer.

"That was the brother of one of the professor's victims." Rukia answers her softly, and Tatsuki's eyes widen in understanding. She gives Rukia a surprised look when she hears that answer. She hadn't been expecting that.

"Oh," Karin says before she runs out of the dressing room.

She stands by the front door to wait for her brother and Rukia so that she can ride with them, and she gets lost in thought as she does so. It's never happened with a boy before, so why is it happening now?

_Why can't I stop thinking about him?_

J J J J

Ichigo and Rukia look at each other in mutual horror when they hear what Isshin tells them he saw on the news. They hadn't had any idea that things had changed so radically in such a short time. When they had done their interview, it seemed like most people really wanted Aizen to die.

"There has been a hell of a lot of protesting, and there are a growing amount of people who want to see the professor be freed." Isshin tells them. He had actually learned that there were supporters of Aizen a few weeks ago, but it hadn't seemed noteworthy back then.

"What do you mean by a hell of a lot?" Rukia asks Isshin with a truly confused look in her eye.

"Suffice it to say it's now a tremendously large group," Isshin tells them regretfully.

_It was an overwhelming crowd._

"Do you think it's possible he's invading their dreams?" Rukia asks Ichigo in a panicked voice, forgetting that she's never told Isshin about them.

"I hope not." Ichigo answers.

"What?" Isshin asks as he looks back and forth between the two of them. They both blush when they realize exactly what they were just talking about in front of Ichigo's father. They both look guiltily away from him.

"Forget it." Ichigo mutters at Isshin, but his father won't be dissuaded.

"Rukia-chan, what in the world did you mean when you asked Ichigo if he thought he was invading their dreams?" Isshin asks her as he gives her a piercing stare. Rukia finds that it's just as intense as Ichigo's stare and she squirms while she's pinned with it.

"Just let it go," Ichigo says a bit angrily, but Isshin smacks Ichigo in the side of the head before he focuses back on Rukia. Rukia looks back and forth between Ichigo and his father.

"Please explain it to me." Isshin tells her quietly. Rukia finally nods in agreement and takes a deep breath in nervousness. Ichigo rubs his head from where his father hit him and glares at him angrily.

"The professor has a unique ability, to take over my dreams at his will." Rukia whispers to Isshin. Isshin shakes his head and wonders if he just heard her correctly.

"Say what?" Isshin asks, as he looks completely flabbergasted. "Repeat that, please." Isshin requests.

"He takes over my dreams. I know it sounds incredibly strange, but it's the truth." Rukia insists adamantly.

"Would you mind explaining to me what happens when he takes over your dreams?" Isshin asks her with a raised eyebrow, and Rukia definitely can't meet his eyes now. How is she supposed to talk about nearly being raped in her dreams with Ichigo's father?

"I'd prefer not to go into detail since it's very disturbing." Rukia says quietly, but unfortunately for her, Isshin wants to know. He's pretty good at being persistent when he wants to know something too.

"I'm afraid that I have to insist on detail, since what you've already said is giving me chills down to my bones." Isshin informs her as he crosses his arms.

Rukia turns bright red at that announcement and she glances at Ichigo for help. Ichigo can only shrug helplessly at her, since his father has every right to be curious, considering what he heard her say.

"Just tell him." Ichigo mutters to Rukia with an annoyed look on his face, directed at his father.

"Don't be afraid to tell me the truth, Rukia-chan." Isshin tells her softly, as he realizes he's asking about a very touchy subject.

"Right after the professor was apprehended, he started to invade my dreams. He would make it so that I was unable to move and he would begin to assault me," Rukia says in a very quiet voice, filled with embarrassment.

"Does he still invade your dreams, even now?" Isshin asks her curiously. Rukia blushes harder.

"Not anymore. I discovered something that stops him from getting in." Rukia mutters quietly.

"Really? What was it that stopped him from getting into your dreams anymore?" Isshin asks, noticing that both Rukia and Ichigo are practically purple in the face after he asks that.

"Sleeping next to Ichigo." Rukia says, causing Ichigo to cover his face with his hands.

_Great. Now it's all out in the open_.

"So you and Ichigo have been sneaking to sleep next to each other?" Isshin asks with a grin.

"Shut up." Ichigo growls at his father. Isshin starts to chuckle.

"You know, some things just don't ever change. The first time I ever set eyes on you, it was because you were sneaking to sleep next to Ichigo." Isshin says as the humor of that fact seems to tickle him pink.

"I hope you aren't mad. The dreams were way too much to deal with, and I took the easy way out." Rukia apologizes softly.

"I'm not mad. As long as the girls don't catch wind of what the two of you are doing, I won't say anything." Isshin tells them, causing their mouths to hang open in shock.

"I thought for sure you'd get angry." Ichigo says in shock.

"I mean it, I want the girls to believe the two of you won't share a bed until marriage." Isshin reiterates since his son seemed to have missed that part.

"Oh, I'm so relieved." Rukia says as she puts her hand over her heart.

"So how long have you been keeping the former professor out of your dreams?" Isshin asks curiously. Rukia dips her head a bit.

"Since we came back from my brother's right after my birthday." Rukia admits in a small voice. Isshin nods his head at that answer.

"Then your original question makes sense. I too wonder how many other people's brains he has the ability to infiltrate as they sleep." Isshin says, wondering how on earth an evil man can have such an amazing ability.

"You think he's invading other people's dreams?" Rukia asks Isshin in surprise.

"It makes sense. If he could get into your dreams, why not other people's dreams as well? If he can affect the general public's opinion of him that way, then I don't think he'd hesitate to use that ability." Isshin says as he ponders the possible ramifications of such an act.

"Do you really think he can make an impact like that?" Rukia asks Isshin in horror.

"He has nothing but time on his hands, and I'm sure he's pissed that you've managed to block him from your own dreams." Isshin tells her with a concerned look.

"So you're saying, I should endure dream rape in order to prevent him from messing with people's minds?" Rukia asks in a near screech. Isshin puts his hands up to calm her down.

"I didn't say that! I'm just considering the possibilities." Isshin tells her with wide eyes after hearing her outburst.

"I don't like what you're considering!" Rukia says in a shrill voice.

"Shit." Ichigo says, as his imagination starts to run away from him. What all could Aizen persuade the average person to do while they're under his influence in their dreams?

"What?" Rukia asks Ichigo as she studies his expression. She looks back at his father and she notes that they have the exact same horrified yet contemplative look on their faces and it's driving her nuts.

Isshin and Ichigo have both thought of the same horrifying possibility at the same time.

_What if he gains control of a sleepwalker?_

Rukia starts to get agitated as she can tell the men are having some pretty intense thoughts.

"I don't know Rukia-chan, but I'm worried about it." Isshin tells her seriously.

Rukia can't help but shiver at his uncharacteristic serious attitude.

_What next?_

Ichigo appears to be having the same thoughts.

J J J J

Byakuya is shocked. He can hardly believe that Kurosaki Isshin just called to speak to him at length about Aizen Sousuke and his ability to tap into and control other people's dreams. Byakuya wonders how this is even something that they have to seriously consider.

Isshin's one observation had greatly worried Byakuya.

_What is the extent of his powers when he controls one who is sleeping?_

Byakuya has no idea what the answer to that question is, and so it keeps on bothering him. He remembers how seriously Rukia told him that the professor was attacking her in her dreams.

Hisana had some disturbing dreams when Byakuya first met her, but it had been because she thought her little sister was in the hands of her insane and disturbed uncle. They had been just as terrifying for her though, as Rukia's dreams of Aizen are to her now.

_It seems too supernatural to be actually true, and that's why it works in favor of Aizen. I wonder if he'll ever try to invade my dreams, or if he's tried and failed._

It's almost too ridiculous to say out loud, when you really think about what people consider to be normal and paranormal. Most people would think you were insane for even bringing up the mere possibility of one person having the ability to not only invade other people's dreams, but to control them.

_Not too many people are going to be willing to believe that their mind could be hacked into so easily._

With an ability like that, he could possibly convince someone that Rukia is a liar and deserves to be killed. She could be targeted by any person if their mind is weak against Aizen.

The fact remains that the ability itself is extremely dangerous. It's a threat to Rukia's well being in more ways than one. Byakuya wonders what on earth can be done to stop the man now, instead of waiting for his sentence to be carried out.

_Is there a way to have him eliminated? I wonder if anybody would even take me seriously if I tried to bring it to light._

Byakuya knows he won't do it. He can hardly believe it himself, so he can hardly expect people who aren't closely connected to Rukia to believe it.

_What in the hell am I supposed to do now? I wish you could tell me the answer, Hisana._

He hasn't told Rukia and Ichigo but the weapons that he had made for them are already finished. Byakuya ended up including one more sword for Ichigo, since he had seen the way Ichigo had stared at one of the swords on his wall with particular interest. Since the kid has saved Rukia so many times, Byakuya decided to reward him a little bit.

The Tai Dao Saber that Byakuya had made, seems like it will fit Ichigo really well. The blade is long and curved as well as very thick. It's not like the traditional thinner swords. Byakuya thinks it will fit Ichigo very well.

Byakuya had also had a double edged sword made for Rukia so that she can learn that weapon as well. Now he feels like his overprotective measures all have some sort of meaning. Byakuya wonders what will happen next as he flips on the news and sees with his own eyes the growing support around Japan for Aizen, and people crying to release him.

J J J J

Tatsuki is really surprised when Rukia calls her to come over, especially since Rukia has never done that before. Normally they're at Ichigo's house too, and not at Rukia's place. Tatsuki hadn't realized just how rich Rukia was until she had seen the gym.

When Rukia leads Tatsuki up to her bedroom, Tatsuki immediately notices several of Rukia's martial arts and gymnastics awards. Then she sees the picture of them as children with the Kurosaki name engraved across the top of the frame. Before Tatsuki can ponder that, Rukia drops the bombshell on her.

"There are a lot of people working to have Aizen Sousuke set free." Rukia tells Tatsuki with a grim look. Tatsuki's eyes jerk towards her friend.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Tatsuki asks her with a look of disbelief.

Rukia turns on the television in her room and presses play to show Tatsuki the news report that she had taped earlier. Rukia sits on her bed and waits for Tatsuki to see it for herself.

Tatsuki plops onto Rukia's bed next to her and stares horrified at the screen.

A mob of people are protesting Aizen's imprisonment. There are people holding signs. Tatsuki's eyes travel over the different signs in the crowd.

_Aizen Sousuke, brilliant educator, FALSELY ACCUSED!_

_Free Aizen Sousuke_

_Aizen Sousuke was framed!_

_Good men don't belong in jail, and Aizen Sousuke is a good man!_

_Aizen Sousuke should be teaching a class, not rotting in jail!_

"Holy shit." Tatsuki breathes as she sees the offensive signs on the screen. She glances at Rukia, who has a very tightlipped expression on her face, but it's obvious that she's furious.

"Can you fucking believe this shit?" Rukia asks Tatsuki with venom in her voice. "People actually believe he's innocent when there is actual video of him committing crimes against Hinamori Momo and Watanabe Aya." Rukia says in such an angry voice that Tatsuki is surprised that Rukia isn't breathing out fire.

"How?!" Tatsuki breathes, even as the answer comes to her instantly. She looks at Rukia with a look of total horror.

"You've already figured it out, haven't you?" Rukia asks her with a knowing look.

"He's manipulating people through their dreams? Is that what you're thinking?" Tatsuki asks Rukia with a look of pure horror etched across her face.

"I can't come up with any other explanation to this complete and total madness, can you?" Rukia asks Tatsuki with a hard voice. Tatsuki shakes her head no.

"It's so disturbing. What did Ichigo have to say about all of this?" Tatsuki asks Rukia curiously, wondering why Ichigo isn't around.

"He's pretty pissed off." Rukia tells Tatsuki who nods her head in understanding.

"Understandably so." Tatsuki says quietly.

"Is this happening because I made him stop visiting my dreams?" Rukia asks Tatsuki in a desperate voice. Tatsuki quickly grabs her hand and squeezes it comfortingly.

"This is not your fault." Tatsuki tells her with a deadly serious voice.

"Ichigo doesn't think this should be taken lightly at all." Rukia tells Tatsuki in a sad voice. "He's having a discussion with his father about everything right now." Rukia admits.

"I trust his instincts." Tatsuki tells her with a confident nod.

"We could be in big trouble if he's successfully able to manipulate certain minds." Rukia whispers to Tatsuki. "Those were Ichigo's exact words before he told me to stay put while he talked to his father." Rukia mutters at Tatsuki.

"This professor guy, just doesn't quit, does he?" Tatsuki asks Rukia. Rukia shakes her head slowly and responds unhappily.

"Nope. He just keeps going, and going and going…" Rukia says, hating that she just envisioned a pink bunny wearing sunglasses beating on a drum. She doesn't ever want to associate Aizen with something as pleasant as the bunny in the American commercials that she's seen.

"I have a bad feeling about all of this." Tatsuki tells Rukia in a serious voice. Rukia groans, but she nods her head.

"I do too. The whole thing is almost like a nightmare come to life." Rukia tells her quietly.

"He sure has been busy in the time you've kept him out of your dreams," Tatsuki comments observantly.

"You're not kidding. The sheer number of people out there supporting him are proof enough of that." Rukia grumbles, as she turns off the news that she recorded and puts it on regular television.

Rukia grins when it's her favorite animated pizza commercial. It's so silly it's funny.

"I have an idea, but I don't think you're going to like it." Tatsuki tells her with a foreboding voice.

"What?" Rukia asks hopefully, since she's instantly curious.

"Why don't you try confronting him?" Tatsuki asks her softly.

"What?" Rukia asks her with dread as the blood drains from her face.

"You know…sleep without Ichigo tonight." Tatsuki says in a low voice.

Rukia starts to shake her head no.

"You don't understand what it's like when he gets in there and starts controlling my dreams. I remember the feel of him when I wake up, and I never ever want to experience that again." Rukia tells her in a hard voice as the live news comes back on.

Tatsuki and Rukia's mouths drop open at the breaking news.

_Aizen Sousuke has escaped from prison, presumably with help._


	49. Chapter 48: Getting Ready

**A/N-I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 48

_Getting Ready_

Rukia's piercing scream reaches Ichigo and his father clear over at his house, and Ichigo dashes back over to Rukia's house and flies up the stairs. He doesn't realize that his father is following, because he's running a hell of a lot faster than his father.

When he finds Rukia and Tatsuki holding hands and staring in horror at the television, Ichigo isn't sure whether or not to be angry or concerned. Rukia lets go of Tatsuki's hand and flies into Ichigo's arms.

"He's escaped from prison!" Rukia shrieks into his chest.

"Fuck." Ichigo says angrily. No wonder she had such a tremendous reaction.

"I was afraid something like this might happen," Isshin's voice surprises Rukia and she pulls away from Ichigo to stare at his father.

"When did you get here?" Rukia asks him in surprise.

"We both heard you scream, Ichigo just made it in here a little bit quicker than me." Isshin tells her with a small grin.

"We have to call ni-sama." Rukia tells Ichigo quietly.

"You're right." Ichigo says even as he feels dread in his stomach.

They all know what Aizen's true obsession is, and now he's not being held behind bars. He's out in the world, free to hurt girls again.

"Rukia, why don't me, Renji, and Ichigo all spend the night here with you tonight, to help give you some peace of mind. It will be like a big slumber party," Tatsuki tells Rukia softly, who immediately nods her agreement.

"Now is a great time to be surrounded by trusted friends. Thanks for the offer Tatsuki, I gratefully accept." Rukia says, with her voice sounding rather panicked.

"Calm down, Rukia-chan. He's a wanted man, and once your brother learns about this, he'll probably have the bodyguards keeping a close eye on you too." Isshin tells Rukia, who hasn't exactly managed to calm down at all.

"Rukia, where is your phone?" Ichigo asks her softly, since he can tell she's about to have some sort of anxiety attack. He pulls her over to the bed and makes her sit down. "I'll call your brother." Ichigo says as he looks at her with a worried expression. Rukia points to her purse and Ichigo digs out her phone.

Tatsuki pulls out her own cell phone and calls Renji, who immediately agrees to join the slumber party at Rukia's house.

"Want to invite Inoue and Ishida, too?" Tatsuki asks Rukia, who immediately nods again.

"The more, the better," Rukia says softly.

"I've taught Inoue karate. She wouldn't be completely useless in a battle situation…unless she's drunk." Tatsuki says with a grin.

"And Ishida removes eyeballs. I'd say we make a pretty formidable group." Rukia says, finally smiling a little bit.

Ichigo walks out of the room to talk to her brother.

"We should have Sado and Michiru come over too, your room is certainly big enough to fit everyone." Tatsuki says with a grin. Rukia nods again.

"I would actually feel much better if everyone were around. I feel completely unsettled right now." Rukia admits, as this is a situation that is totally out of her control.

Who knows where Aizen is or when he'll come for her. Hinamori Momo had warned Rukia that he wouldn't stop until he was dead, and Rukia took that warning quite seriously.

Ichigo walks back in the room and gives her a look of amazement.

"Your brother is already on his way here. He says he has some things for us, and that the bodyguards will be back on full duty." Ichigo tells her with a strange look.

"Ichigo, call Sado and invite him and Michiru to the slumber party," Tatsuki tells Ichigo, who nods his head as he watches Rukia's face look very uncertain and extremely worried.

"You're going to have a huge party in your room tonight, I hope you know." Ichigo warns her. Rukia smiles nervously at him.

"As long as we exclude Keigo, Chizuru, and Noriko, it shouldn't get out of hand," Rukia tells him even as she shakes at the realization that Aizen is out of jail, roaming free, somewhere in Japan, right now.

Ichigo can tell she will feel better surrounded by friends, and so he goes out into the hallway to call Sado, who immediately agrees to come over, and he tells Ichigo that he'll talk to Michiru.

When Ichigo goes back into Rukia's room, she looks like she's calmed down a little bit, and he feels badly for her that everything seems to be crashing around them, and not in a good way.

"We should order pizza tonight!" Tatsuki says with a grin. "We should try to make it a real fun night so that you can forget your problems for a little while." Tatsuki says with a confident nod.

"You're right. I could be getting all worked up for nothing, he could be apprehended before he makes it anywhere near Karakura Town. Everybody knows what he looks like, after all." Rukia says optimistically, even though her gut instinct is telling her differently.

J J J J

Rukia and Ichigo stare openmouthed at the weapons Byakuya is presenting them in the privacy of the gym. Neither one can believe the extravagance of the weapons or the generosity of Byakuya.

Tatsuki had left Rukia's house earlier to go prepare her overnight bag, and Byakuya had called them to meet him at the gym.

Ichigo picks up the Tai Dao Saber. Something about this weapon just seems to call to him. Byakuya doesn't miss the appreciation in Ichigo's eyes as he admires the weapon either.

Rukia is absolutely in love with her fan. Both are happy to return Byakuya's own weapons back to him as they admire their own newly made weapons that seem to fit their own personalities better, even though they're the same exact weapon, they have a different look from Byakuya's weaponry. It seems like he took their personalities into account when he arranged to have them made.

"I'm going to be in town as much as possible, whenever I can be here to help keep an eye out for you." Byakuya tells Rukia, who smiles up at her brother.

"Thank you." Rukia says softly, with her eyes shining in happiness as she looks again at her own iron fan.

"I can't believe that piece of shit actually escaped. This is some bullshit." Ichigo finally snarls in anger.

His father had heard him really going off earlier, until they heard Rukia's scream. Ichigo had separated himself from her in order to keep her from seeing his true anger.

Byakuya sighs at Ichigo's choice of words, but it's not as if the kid doesn't have good reason to be stressed out and pissed off.

"Rukia, I want you to practice your defense with your new fan. Come here." Byakuya tells Rukia as he stands with the knives he'd lent to Rukia until her own could be completed. Ichigo watches as Byakuya tests Rukia's comfort with her new weapon, and Ichigo realizes that she really has become adept at using it.

_She sure seems to learn things fast_.

The more Ichigo thinks about Rukia, the more he believes she may actually be prodigy of some sort, perhaps even a genius too.

_How many three year olds have the mind capacity to accomplish what she did when she was three when she escaped from her uncle?_

His father used to tease Ichigo a lot for getting had by both Rukia and Tatsuki when he tried his karate moves, that is something that Ichigo has never been able to forget.

Even Byakuya looks impressed with Rukia's quick progress, and her ability to defend against his attacks.

I should thank him for preparing us. What in the hell will happen next?

J J J J

"What time is Sado coming over?" Rukia asks Ichigo suddenly as they finish eating dinner at his house.

"Everyone knows we eat here together, I'm sure none of them would be stupid enough to show up until well after eight." Ichigo tells her reassuringly.

A knock sounds at the door, and Karin rolls her eyes at her brother.

"Maybe someone _was_ stupid enough to show up early." Karin tells him before she jumps to her feet to answer the door. Isshin stands too, since he isn't comfortable with his daughter answering the door alone under the current circumstances.

Isshin stays back out of sight as Karin opens the door, and when he sees a young boy, he heads back to his seat. He's sure Karin will get rid of him.

Karin's mouth drops open at the sight of Toushirou standing at her front door.

"Hello," Karin says nervously as the amazing aqua of his eyes hits her for the second time.

"Kurosaki Karin, right?" Toushirou asks her in a low tone. Karin nods her head yes, and finds that she's amazed she can hardly speak. Her heart feels like it's about to pop out of her chest. She opens and closes her mouth before she finally gains her voice.

"Yes, you remember me?" Karin asks in a near whisper of shock. He had seemed so unconcerned with her when she had been noticing him.

"I have to talk to Kuchiki Rukia." Toushirou tells her softly. Karin tries not to feel disappointed, and she nods. She motions for him to follow her into the kitchen.

Rukia and Ichigo both look in shock at Hinamori Momo's brother as he enters the room.

"Hitsugaya-kun!" Rukia says in a bit of surprise at seeing him there.

"Good evening." Toushirou says, and waits for her to ask the obvious.

"What are you doing here?" Rukia asks incredulously.

"I've come to ask your permission to allow me to help guard you until Aizen Sousuke is apprehended." Toushirou says, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen.

"What can you do that we can't?" Ichigo asks him curiously.

"The level of my Kung Fu cannot be ignored." Toushirou says calmly to the two of them. "I am happy to prove my skills."

"Why do you want to guard me?" Rukia asks him in a strange voice.

"It's not about you so much as it's about my sister. She wanted you to be protected, and I wasn't there for her when she was attacked. I also would like the opportunity to kill the man who tortured my sister to death." Toushirou says with a gleam in his eye.

Only Rukia has noticed the way Karin's eyes haven't left the white haired boy, and she decides to mess with Karin a bit, just for fun after all of her snide comments about her and Ichigo making out.

"Karin there, is a very skilled fighter. Karin, would you mind letting him show us with you, how good of a fighter he is?" Rukia asks sweetly.

Karin turns bright red at that request as she yanks her gaze off of Toushirou and stares at Rukia in horror. No she doesn't want to fight him! If she can kick his ass, her feelings will up and disappear in an instant!

"Since he wants to protect you from a grown man, shouldn't he be going against Ichi-ni?" Karin asks desperately. Rukia holds back a grin, and she lets out a loud and dramatic sigh.

"I suppose you're right. Ichigo, will you let him demonstrate his strength with you?" Rukia asks next. Ichigo nods.

"Except that we have plans with other people." Ichigo says to her, causing Rukia to sigh in memory. She looks at Toushirou.

"What did your parents say about this plan of yours?" She asks him curiously.

"They understood, even if they didn't like it very much." Toushirou tells her quietly.

"You're more than welcome to have one of the guest bedrooms on the first floor of my home. You're also welcome to join us at the gym in the morning when we all workout. I'm sure Karin won't mind giving you the tour of the gym." Rukia tells him with a smile. Toushirou nods his head in acceptance. "You can demonstrate your skills to us tomorrow in the dojo area." Rukia tells him softly. Rukia doesn't miss how Karin blushed.

"I'm going to ask Sado to stay for a couple of weeks in your other downstairs guest bedroom too, if you don't mind. You can't have slumber parties every night, but you can still be surrounded with capable people in case anything happens." Ichigo tells her softly. Rukia nods her head.

"Sado is more than welcome to stay in the other guest bedroom downstairs, he can have the one next to Hitsugaya-kun." Rukia says with a smile.

"Rukia-chan?" Yuzu suddenly tugs on her arm. Rukia smiles at her.

"Yes, Yuzu-chan?" Rukia asks her with a grin.

"May I bring a friend with me to swim in the pool when you work out tomorrow?" Yuzu asks hopefully. Rukia beams at her.

"Of course you can, Yuzu-chan, that's no problem at all." Rukia grins at Yuzu's big smile. Rukia notices that Toushirou looks far more relaxed since she didn't completely brush him off. Rukia looks back at Karin.

_Good luck Karin._

"We're going to head over to my house now, thank you very much for the meal," Rukia says to Yuzu and Isshin. They both smile at her.

"It's always a pleasure when you eat with us, Rukia-chan." Isshin tells her with a smile.

Rukia and Ichigo both stand and everyone in the room watches in amazement when they both double over and clutch at their chests in an identical manner.

"Ichi-ni!" Karin says with concern.

"Rukia-chan!" Yuzu calls out next.

Ichigo and Rukia don't hear anything, because a fiery red hot and dangerous chill is sweeping through their bodies and burning them like static electricity. The feeling lasts for close to twenty seconds before they both straighten up and look at each other with very worried feelings.

"What in the hell was that?" Rukia asks Ichigo uncertainly. He shakes his head in confusion.

"I don't know." Ichigo tells her with a worried look in his eyes.

"Are you two okay?" Isshin asks with wide horrified eyes. He's never seen anything like that happen before.

"It was similar to that last time when I had that weird feeling, except this time it was a whole hell of a lot more ominous." Rukia says in a low voice to Ichigo who instantly agrees with her assessment.

"Whatever it was, it wasn't just bad, it was downright evil." Ichigo says with a visible shiver.

Toushirou looks quite astounded as he watches the two of them. He too had felt something, but not nearly on the level that the two of them had felt it. To him, it had felt like his entire body was tightening, though it hadn't been a feeling that was witnessed by others. If he hadn't been there to see them react like that, he isn't sure he would have believed it on just being told about it.

_They're very in tune with the harmony of the world, at least that's what I think._

J J J J

"Your house is great, Kuchiki-san!" Michiru says with a shy smile.

"Thanks." Rukia tells her with a grin.

"I still can't believe that psycho escaped from prison." Renji says, as he shakes his head in disbelief. Rukia nods her head in agreement.

"Has anybody here been visited in their dreams by the former professor, or remember having dreams that mention him in a good light?" Ichigo asks everyone.

"I haven't had anything like that happen to me," Tatsuki says firmly.

"Me either," Renji says next.

"No." Sado says to Ichigo.

Everyone else shakes their head no as well. Ichigo glances at Rukia with a bit of relief.

"I think that's a very good thing." Ichigo says with relief.

"Until his capture, I'd like to propose that on all non-school nights we have a slumber party here." Rukia says suddenly, and with vigor. The moment she said it, she felt it to the core of her heart that it was the right decision, to have all of these strong people around her.

"I'm in!" Tatsuki says with a laugh.

"Me too," Renji says as he smiles at Tatsuki.

"I think that will be fun!" Inoue says with a smile.

"I'm game." Sado says, giving Ichigo a nod. He had already agreed to temporarily stay in the guest bedroom downstairs to help keep his best friend's future wife safe from harm. Sado knows Ichigo would do it for him.

"It looks like it's unanimous." Tatsuki tells Rukia with a smile.

"Thanks, everyone." Rukia says, smiling gratefully at all of their support and kindness.

"That bastard deserves to die." Ishida says with clenched fists. It had sickened him to learn what the former professor had been getting away with in regards to young women.

Everyone hears the doorbell ring and the whole party stampedes downstairs to get some pizza. Rukia calls Toushirou out from his guest bedroom to partake in pizza.

They had waited until later to order it since Rukia and Ichigo had eaten a fairly large but extremely delicious dinner at Ichigo's house earlier.

The night passes by with everyone laughing and having fun, and nothing terrible happens.

Rukia goes to bed way too late, but it's okay because she's surrounded by friends and she's in Ichigo's arms.

J J J J

Karin is surprised that her face feels very warm as she shows Toushirou around the gym. He's properly impressed with all of the equipment, and Karin feels a great excitement that for once he's actually focused on her as she shows him around. Her sister brought some red haired kid to the gym to swim in the pool, but Karin doesn't bother to pay attention to that now.

This is the first Sunday ever that Rukia's gymnastics coach doesn't come in. Apparently Byakuya had called him to cancel the practice due to the shock of Aizen's escape from prison.

Karin leads Toushirou over to the dojo, where her brother has yet to arrive. Toushirou is impressed by all of the equipment. He watches Karin as she walks over to the punching bag that is designed to look like an opponent, and lays a few kicks on it. He's surprised to see that she is fairly proficient at kicking at the weak points of the body.

She finally turns around and looks at him with a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Are you really going to fight with my brother?" Karin asks him dubiously.

"To demonstrate my abilities to fight in order to have a chance to confront my sister's killer? Of course." Toushirou says without any hint of fear.

"Good luck. My brother's a difficult opponent," Karin warns him. She's awarded with a smile. It's the first time she's ever seen him smile and she can hardly believe how her heart flutters at the sight of it.

"Thanks for the warning." Toushirou says before he turns around and starts to stretch. Karin can only stare at his back, and remember the incredible way his smile seems to be frozen into her mind.

Ichigo and Rukia finally appear to be heading towards them and Karin gets even more nervous for Toushirou. She would just love to see the look on her brother's face if he actually loses this match.

To Karin, it seems to take forever for everything to get started since Ichigo and Toushirou both seem to want to spend awhile stretching.

When Rukia finally has them facing each other, prepared to start, Karin wonders if everyone can hear her heart pounding so loudly it's like a drum beat in her ears.

Toushirou shocks everyone, including Ichigo with his lightning fast moves, and his ability to evade hits. Ichigo only barely blocks the most damaging moves as Toushirou evades and circles around him.

It takes Ichigo over two minutes to finally knock Toushirou to his ass and out like a light, but the kid had definitely gotten more hits in, even if he didn't land the most damaging ones. Ichigo glances at Rukia as Karin rushes to Toushirou's side and falls to her knees.

"He's pretty damned good." Ichigo tells her softly. Rukia nods her head in agreement.

"I noticed. I won't tell him to leave, he is more than experienced enough to want to fight this battle." Rukia tells Ichigo with a nod.

Toushirou finally wakes up from getting knocked out, and the first thing that he sees is Karin looking at him with worry. She smiles though as his eyes fully open.

"You did really good." Karin whispers with a grin. Toushirou blinks.

"What in the hell happened?" He asks, even though his head is aching.

"You got knocked the fuck out!" Renji says, imitating one of his favorite American movies. Toushirou looks shocked as he sits up.

"Really? That's never happened to me before." He says wide eyed, before he looks back at Ichigo. "You're an amazing fighter," Toushirou tells him with his head bowed in respect.

"I wasn't half as good as you are now when I was your age," Ichigo informs him with a grin.

"It's decided, we gratefully accept you offer to help guard me." Rukia tells him with a smile. She notices that Karin looks ecstatic at this news.

"I'm glad." Toushirou says in a low voice.

"If you're sore, you should sit in the whirlpool. Karin, will you take him?" Rukia asks her with a grin. Karin nods her head. Ichigo watches as they walk away and he glances at Rukia.

"That kid is really good." Ichigo tells her in a low voice. Rukia smiles at him.

"I believe you," Rukia whispers with a smile. She had seen the shocked expression on Ichigo's face more than once at the way the kid moved with a speed that could make your head spin.

"He surprised me," Ichigo tells her before he leans in and kisses her quickly on the cheek.

"He surprised me too," Rukia admits with a small smile. She had been able to tell that Karin had been properly impressed with Toushirou's performance.

"He reminds me of you." Ichigo says with a strange look in his eyes. Rukia looks at him curiously.

"How so?" She asks as she watches his face closely.

"He seems like a prodigy, or a genius." Ichigo tells her with a sheepish grin. Rukia blushes.

"How did you find out?" Rukia asks him with wide eyes.

"Huh?" Ichigo asks her in confusion. Rukia gives him an extremely confused look back.

"I'm sure I never told you, that I'm a genius." Rukia whispers softly. Ichigo's eyes widen.

"You mean it's confirmed?" Ichigo asks her with a bit of shock. Rukia nods her head slowly.

"I was labeled a genius when I went to America. My IQ scores were off the charts." Rukia admits. "I've actually always been a little bit embarrassed about it, because if you say it out loud, people think you're lying. I was declared an immeasurable genius." Rukia whispers softly.

Ichigo thinks back, on how she handled her near abduction as a child, how she became such a proficient fighter and gymnast, on how she spoke and read English perfectly, on how she had quickly picked up using the weapons, and her statements that she was always at the top of her class.

"I'm not surprised." Ichigo says, even though he gives her an admiring look.

"I should get my IQ retested and see if I'm still told that now." Rukia says, even though she probably won't go to the trouble of all of that.

"I always knew you were something special. I've always felt that, in my gut." Ichigo tells her softly.

"I never told people about it, since it would just sound like I was boasting." Rukia admits softly.

"You don't have to worry about that, you've always shocked and amazed me with your endless talent." Ichigo whispers before he kisses her on the cheek.

"I'm glad it doesn't bother you." Rukia tells him with a relieved look on her face. Ichigo gives her a puzzled look.

"Why would it?" He asks her in confusion.

"A lot of guys would feel threatened by something like that, don't you think?" Rukia asks him softly. Ichigo considers it, and he realizes she's probably right. Most guys would feel intimidated by something like that.

"I'm not like them." Ichigo tells her softly, earning a smiling nod from Rukia. She looks up at him adoringly.

"I know." Rukia tells him softly, before she glances over at the whirlpool where Karin is sitting with Toushirou.

"Maybe Hitsugaya-kun and Karin-chan will become friends." Rukia tells Ichigo who also glances towards the whirlpool.

"I don't think they'll have too much trouble getting along." Ichigo says in agreement.

"I'm sure he could use a friend right now, he seemed kind of like a loner," Rukia tells Ichigo as she finds herself feeling sorry for Hinamori Momo's little brother.

"You're pretty observant." Ichigo says as he looks at his future wife with a lot of admiration on his face.

"Ichigo, what do you think will happen now? Do you think he'll come after us at one of our homes again?" Rukia asks Ichigo nervously.

"We have no way of knowing. I understand that you're worried, but all we can do is train and work harder to make sure we aren't taken down by him or anybody else he enlists to help him in his quest to come after you." Ichigo says softly.

"Will you spar with me? I want to spar with a man." Rukia tells him softly.

"I'd prefer for you to spar with Renji or Sado, actually." Ichigo says with a worried look in his eyes. "There's no way I could ever be a useful opponent against you." Ichigo whispers as he looks at her lovingly. Rukia understands, he could never throw a true punch in her direction.

"Sado!" Rukia calls Sado away from the weights. He sets down the weights on the rest provided on the bench and he sits up. He walks over and looks at Rukia questioningly.

"Sado. Rukia is feeling really unsettled about Aizen's escape and she'd like to spar with a guy. Will you help her out?" Ichigo asks his friend. Sado's eyes widen.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea." Sado says with an obviously worried gaze.

"I need to practice with a man. I'd prefer not to spar with Renji since he and I grew up learning the same style." Rukia tells Sado with an earnest look.

"What if I accidentally hurt you though?" Sado asks nervously.

"Just don't go at it with your full power. Even at half your strength, you're stronger than most men." Ichigo says logically.

"I don't want to hurt Kuchiki-san." Sado says a bit more firmly.

"I'd rather take a hit by you in practice than to be rusty when I confront Aizen." Rukia argues in a worried tone since it looks like Sado wants to turn her down.

"Don't underestimate her either," Ichigo tells Sado seriously. Sado sighs and looks back at Rukia.

"You won't hold me responsible if you accidentally get hurt?" Sado asks her quietly. Rukia nods her head.

"I promise." Rukia tells him, before Sado nods.

"Only if you wear protective gear." Sado concedes. Rukia smiles at him before she dashes for the storeroom that holds the pads.

"Thanks, Sado!" Rukia shouts happily as she runs off. Sado looks at Ichigo.

"This could be dangerous, you know." Sado tells him with a concerned look. Ichigo smiles at him.

"For you or for her?" Ichigo asks him seriously. Sado looks taken aback.

"For her." Sado says as though it should have been obvious. Ichigo shakes his head at his friend.

"I warned you not to underestimate her." Ichigo says in a serious tone. Sado slowly nods his head.

"If you say so…" Sado says in an unconvinced voice as Rukia comes tearing back with pads. They watch as she dons the pads and then looks at Sado expectantly.

"Are you ready?" Rukia asks him with a smile. Sado nods his head and follows her into the area of the dojo set up for sparring. Ichigo watches with his heart pounding, and Tatsuki notices from where she was working on the punching bags and she trots over to stand next to Ichigo.

"She's going to spar with Sado?" Tatsuki asks incredulously. Ichigo nods his head and wonders if it was a mistake to convince Sado to work with Rukia. He watches and listens as Rukia addresses Sado.

"I want to forewarn you that my martial arts style makes use of submissive moves. If at anytime you need me to stop what I'm doing, just tap on the floor or my body and Ichigo will call out that you tapped out." Rukia tells him in a quiet voice. Sado looks at her dubiously, but nods his head.

"Alright." He says, not really concerned at the information that she just gave to him.

"Ichigo, please keep an eye out for any tapping. Will you count out our start?" Rukia says, as she looks at Ichigo.

_She always makes me do this, even though my heart is pounding with worry._

"Come on, Rukia!" Tatsuki says with a smile and a clap of her hands. Renji jogs over to stand next to Tatsuki.

"Rukia's going to spar with Sado?" Renji asks in amazement. Ichigo nods his head before he follows Rukia's instructions.

"Bow to your partner." Ichigo instructs them both, and they follow his direction, bowing to one another. "Alright, Ready…set…go!" Ichigo says and Sado waits for Rukia to come at him.

Rukia can tell he's as strong as steel as she looks at him, but that's what makes him such a great partner to spar with. She starts with Ichigo's special move, which Sado has seen before but hadn't expected her to open with it.

Rukia does a hand spring onto Sado's shoulders and throws him with her legs successfully and manages to land perfectly. Tatsuki gasps as she stares at Ichigo.

"You taught her your move!" Tatsuki says in shock. Ichigo smiles.

"I created it in her honor." Ichigo admits to his friend. Tatsuki glares at him.

"You never told me that! Wait a minute…" Tatsuki says as she realizes that Ichigo created this move for Rukia when his mom was still alive. She gives him a suspicious look, but his attention is on Rukia who after she managed to successfully throw Sado, has gotten him into a fierce chokehold. Sado can hardly believe it when he feels like he's going to pass out and he taps out as Rukia instructed him to do, and he sits back as he looks at her in amazement.

"I don't think there's any doubt that you're ready for a real fight." Sado says as he catches his breath and his red face starts returning to its normal color.

Rukia looks at Ichigo who nods in agreement.

"We're definitely ready." Ichigo says with a smile. Rukia nods.

_We're waiting Aizen. You just try to come and get us!_


	50. Chapter 49: Followers

_Chapter 49_

_Followers_

When the school week passes by with nothing happening besides Rukia and Ichigo having physical reactions to bad feelings, Rukia is relieved that most of their friends will once again be spending the night at her house. Toushirou and Sado have been staying in the guest bedrooms at Rukia's house all week, and she's felt really relieved by that. It's been really nice to feel so well protected.

When Keigo had learned about the scheduled slumber parties at Rukia's house, in her bedroom, he'd screeched about not getting invited. He hadn't shut up for a full ten minutes and Rukia had to put him in his place.

"Keigo, when we need someone to shit their pants, we'll be sure to call you, until then, keep in mind that we could get attacked, just like at Itou's party. You weren't any help at all. You were frozen still." Rukia had told him loudly, causing everyone to laugh.

Keigo had turned bright red at that, and Noriko had broken up with him later that day. There weren't a whole lot of people who were surprised at the breakup since Noriko hadn't done anything for Keigo on Valentine's Day, but everyone had been shocked when Noriko started to date Chizuru. Everyone had been left gaping when they learned that bit of news. Nobody could understand how that had happened, but nobody cared to know the details either.

Rukia has noticed that both of Ichigo's sisters seem to be spending a lot of time around a couple of particular boys. Rukia hasn't really gotten a chance to speak at length with Jinta, the boy that Yuzu brought to the gym, but she hopes to have a chance to speak to him in the near future.

Rukia has also noticed that Toushirou seems completely oblivious to Karin's obvious crush on him. Rukia feels a bit bad whenever she sees Karin looking admiringly at Toushirou while the boy remains as unaware as ever of her thoughts and feelings. The upside of it for Karin is that she's able to hang around him a lot due to her close contact with the girl he's interested in keeping an eye on.

Rukia hasn't bothered to mention to Ichigo that she believes the girls have developed their first crushes, since she has the sneaking suspicion he would do something stupid to upset his sisters.

Rukia also believes that while he may believe he's being protective, he may go overboard when he actually does figure it out. She's decided to let him figure it out for himself.

JJJJ

Rukia glances out the window when she feels a chill slide over her body for no apparent reason, besides the fact that Aizen has been free for a full week. Ichigo notices and he flips on the television in her room.

"Everyone should be here soon," Ichigo tells her as the news is starting.

Rukia's eyes dart to the television screen and Ichigo sees her eyes widen and he looks too.

"There have been several prison escapes in the past two days. Among those who have escaped are a group of known murderers who were waiting death penalty, in addition to the blind man who was living with Aizen Sousuke at the time of his apprehension." The reporters say, causing both Rukia and Ichigo to gasp.

The other person who escaped is none other than Ichimaru Gin.

The reporter states that the escapees are still at large and to keep your eyes open for danger.

Pictures flash across the screen of all of the escapees and several of them are very strange looking indeed.

They're all very unique looking people, which just makes the story that much stranger.

"My uncle is out too? Ichigo, I have a really bad feeling about this. Maybe you should call Sado and make sure Michiru stays home tonight," Rukia tells Ichigo nervously as she stares at the screen.

Ichigo nods his head and pulls his cell phone out of his pocket. Ichigo calls Sado and quickly informs him of the new developments taking place and he tells Sado to keep Michiru at home for the night, since both he and Rukia have a really bad feeling about what could happen.

When Ichigo gets off the phone, he nods at Rukia.

"It's done." He tells her as he pulls her into his arms.

"I want to close my eyes and rest until everyone starts showing up. Don't leave my side, please," Rukia asks Ichigo softly. He nods his head. Even though he feels anxious, he understands that he can't let the anxiety eat up his energy.

"Shouldn't we make a few calls first?" Ichigo asks her pointedly. Rukia sighs in agitation.

"I know. We need make sure everyone knows the situation." Rukia says in a defeated tone.

"Are you going to call your brother?" Ichigo asks her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. Can you run downstairs and make sure Hitsugaya-kun is updated on what we know?" Rukia asks Ichigo, who immediately nods.

Within fifteen minutes, Byakuya, Tatsuki, Renji, Sado, Toushirou, Ishida, Inoue, Isshin, and the bodyguards are all updated on the latest status of escapees from prison.

"I think it's safe to say that Aizen somehow manipulated things to get these results," Ichigo tells Rukia with a warning note in his voice.

"I agree." Rukia tells him softly.

"It's unbelievable that he has this strange ability." Ichigo tells her even as he looks worried at the possibilities.

"It pisses me off, because I can imagine him with a very smug look on his face as everything moves according to his plans." Rukia says angrily.

"Not everything. He still hasn't captured you." Ichigo tells her softly.

"Hinamori Momo told me he would obsess about me until his death. That means he'll be coming after me again." Rukia says to Ichigo, in a worried voice.

"We'll face the fucking bastard together, you won't have to face him alone, I promise." Ichigo tells her as they lay in her bed together.

"Thanks, Ichigo." Rukia says softly.

"You're my girl. He'll never take you away from me." Ichigo tells her in a rough voice. Rukia smiles happily and closes her eyes.

"I'll always be your girl." Rukia says as she snuggles closer.

JJJJ

"Rukia, what are these videos?" Tatsuki asks Rukia with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Rukia blushes when she realizes Tatsuki located them, since Rukia had them out of view. Tatsuki had been hunting for a DVD to put in though and she had located the hidden stash of Rukia and Ichigo's childhood home videos.

Everyone quiets down to listen to this conversation.

"They're videos of me and Ichigo when we were younger." Rukia says, still blushing furiously.

"There sure are a lot of them, can we see one of them?" Tatsuki asks her with a grin. Rukia is totally embarrassed now. She glances at Ichigo and finds that he is very much in the same condition as she is.

"I'd prefer not to…" Rukia says in a choked voice.

"Why? Is it because you and Ichigo have been in love since you were small children?" Tatsuki asks Rukia in confusion. Rukia blushes even harder.

"Tatsuki." Ichigo says her name with an obvious warning tone in his voice.

"I already know. Since you developed that trademark move for her, I know you've been in love since you were kids." Tatsuki tells them both. Ichigo and Rukia share the same horrified expression at Tatsuki's words.

"Um…" Rukia trails off in total embarrassment.

"Just let us watch one of the videos, it can be any one that you choose. Nobody is going to judge you." Tatsuki tells Rukia in a comforting voice.

"Alright, go ahead and stick in video number five." Rukia says in a small voice. This is the video that has her sister's wedding on it. She pops it in and everyone stares, transfixed as it starts out with White's Day and both Rukia and Ichigo are extremely young. Masaki is visible and very obviously pregnant with Ichigo's little sisters.

Everyone watches as tiny Rukia kisses tiny Ichigo and they start shoveling in the chocolates.

"How young were you in this video, Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue asks in amazement as she watches the young children eating chocolates together and grinning at each other as though they share a great secret.

"He was really young. Four, I'd say." Tatsuki says in amazement.

"Yeah this was a few months before my fifth birthday," Ichigo admits with a big blush. He wishes Rukia had not agreed to play the video. His mother sitting there all alive and vibrant always makes him miss her a great deal.

"That's so cute! You got her a White's Day present when you were only four years old?" Inoue says with a big smile.

"We've loved each other for a long time." Ichigo finally says in a quiet voice.

"I see that." Tatsuki had said with an amazed nod as she looked at the pair, so obviously still in love, even though it had begun when they were still small children.

Everyone seems to be totally interested in the video of Rukia and Ichigo as children. It's a long lasting video though, so after an hour of watching young Rukia and Ichigo, everyone starts to talk.

They leave the video on in the background, not really paying attention to what's happening on it, to the relief of Rukia and Ichigo who realize they themselves brought up their Omiai a lot when they were children.

"So you've been chased after since you were a little kid, that's how you met Ichigo, isn't it?" Sado asks Rukia curiously.

"Yeah. My uncle, the one who escaped from jail is the one who was after me as a child. He killed my mother." Rukia answers sadly.

"It's a wonder that you've never been captured, as many attempts as they've made on you." Ishida says in a bit of amazement. He has been amazed with Kuchiki ever since she scored higher than him at the mid semester testing.

Ishida had always been the first in the class until Rukia came along. He had also noticed Kurosaki's grades getting better too. It's probably because he does his homework with Kuchiki-san. She's such an extraordinary girl, and he's amazed that Kurosaki actually managed to get himself hooked up to her for the rest of his life.

"Yes, I've been very lucky to have remained safe after their endless attempts to abduct me, though I owe all of it to Ichigo." Rukia says as she smiles at Ishida, who nods his head.

_Of course. She's in love with him because he's saved her life over and over again. It's kind of like how Inoue never noticed me until I protected her at the party._

"Those are some huge bodyguards that you have posted around the house." Ishida tells Rukia as he pushes up his glasses.

"I know, that one guy is even bigger than Sado!" Inoue says as her eyes widen in amazement.

"He's terrifying." Ichigo says with a nod of agreement.

"He's been a great source of comfort though, most people wouldn't want to even give him a dirty look let alone mess with him." Rukia says with a grin. She likes Kenpachi, she thinks he's pretty cool.

Everyone stares as Rukia and Ichigo both close their eyes tightly at the same time and clutch at their chests. This seems to be happening more and more frequently, and everyone exchanges glances with everyone else.

"I don't have a very good feeling about things." Renji says as he watches the pair. Tatsuki nods her head as Rukia and Ichigo open their eyes and trade worried glances with one another.

"It feels like evil is in the air." Rukia whispers to Ichigo, even though everyone hears her.

"I feel it too." Ichigo says with his eyes looking more angry.

In the silence of the moment, the video of Rukia and Ichigo seems to recapture everyone's attention again since it's now on Hisana and Byakuya's wedding. Rukia feels embarrassed because she knows what's coming next and absolutely everyone is paying attention to it now.

Tatsuki and Inoue grin at each other at the sight of Ichigo as the ring bearer, and Rukia as the flower girl. It's obvious that Masaki is the one doing the taping when they see Isshin walking Hisana down the aisle.

Not one person in the room can keep from laughing when Byakuya takes Hisana's hand and tiny Rukia leans forward to stick her tongue out at her new brother-in-law. Even Masaki can be heard gasping to hold back her laughter at the scene and Rukia turns bright red when everyone in the room laughs.

"That was hilarious!" Tatsuki says as she laughs pretty hard. That part of the video seemed to come at the perfect time to lower the tension that had built up in the room when they all discussed the attempts on abducting Rukia.

"You two looked so cute!" Inoue says with a big smile.

"Ichigo trying to cover his laughing by covering his mouth was awesome!" Tatsuki says, still laughing.

"I couldn't help it, it was hilarious." Ichigo says defending himself, even though he's red too. He had known what was coming and he enjoyed that scene too.

"You look so much like your sister." Ishida says quietly as he had noticed that immediately. Rukia nods.

"I know. A lot of people who see her pictures think she's me since she died at such a young age." Rukia admits quietly.

"I'm sorry that she died." Inoue says in a sad voice. Rukia smiles at her.

"It's been a long time now, about ten years." Rukia tells her in a reassuring voice to let her know she isn't offended at the mention of her sister.

"It's great that Ichigo's father walked your sister down the aisle. He won't be doing that for you though, right?" Tatsuki asks Rukia curiously. Rukia smiles.

"I imagine my brother will want to do it. He officially adopted me into the Kuchiki household after he married my sister." Rukia explains.

"That was a really nice thing for him to do." Inoue says, as she is very curious about the history of Rukia and Ichigo.

"I know. My sister really loved him, and he loved her just as deeply and wanted to make sure I'd always be cared for. My sister and I were very close before she died." Rukia explains.

"I'm amazed that your father walked her down the aisle." Tatsuki says to Ichigo with wide eyes. "So your sister was close to the Kurosaki family too?" Tatsuki asks Rukia.

"Yes. It was because both of my parents had passed away though. Ichigo's father was Hisana's physician after my uncle attacked my parent's home. He was happy to walk her down the aisle since my parents couldn't be there to do it." Rukia says nostalgically with a soft smile.

"You've started planning your wedding, haven't you Kuchiki-san?" Inoue asks with a dreamy sigh.

"Yes. This summer Ichigo and I are going to fly to France and Italy to look at wedding gowns. I'll find a designer that I really like and get fitted and then I'll pick the design of my wedding gown." Rukia says with stars in her eyes.

"You're so lucky!" Inoue says in a squeal. Rukia blushes at that.

"You're going to do some traveling this summer?" Renji asks in amazement. Rukia suddenly looks like she remembered something.

"I can trust you with the keys to the gym while I'm gone, can't I?" Rukia asks Tatsuki hopefully. Tatsuki smiles hugely.

"Of course you can. That's really generous of you to offer to trust me with them while you're gone though." Tatsuki says with a grin.

"It's even more generous that all of you have offered to stay with me in this really scary time, when we could all end up being in danger." Rukia says as she looks at everyone gratefully.

"Nobody here would feel comfortable leaving you to deal with this scary situation by yourself. We're all friends with Ichigo, but more than that, we've all become friends with you." Tatsuki tells Rukia in a comforting voice.

"You have a better chance getting through another confrontation if you have support, and there's strength in numbers." Ishida says in a quiet voice.

"I can hardly believe Hinamori Momo's little brother showed up to offer to help guard me." Rukia tells them all with wide eyes.

"He transferred here, didn't he?" Renji asks her.

"Yes, it was still quite a shock to me when he showed up here." Rukia says with a disbelieving shake of her head.

"I brought a baseball bat!" Inoue says with a huge grin. Everyone stares at her.

"What?" Tatsuki asks her in a confused tone.

"Didn't everyone bring something? I thought that's why we were warned that more people had escaped from jail." Inoue says with a confused tone in her voice. Everyone glances around at each other.

"I have a slingshot and a pocket knife." Ishida says as he pushes up his glasses.

"I always carry my fists on me." Sado says in a low voice.

"Ichigo and I both have our weapons here." Rukia says with a smile.

"You have weapons, Kuchiki-san?" Inoue asks in interest.

"You have probably seen one and not even realized it." Rukia says with a smile before she walks over to her bag and pulls out the iron fan. Rukia snaps it open and shows it to Inoue.

"That's a pretty fan, Kuchiki-san." Inoue says as she admires the fan.

"It's an iron fan. It's a weapon." Rukia tells her. Inoue's eyes widen.

"Truly?" Inoue asks as she watches Rukia get into a fighting stance with it.

"Yes. My brother started training me in how to wield it. He has trained on dozens of various weapons." Rukia tells her as she snaps the fan closed again and sticks it on the nightstand next to her bed. Everyone is back to looking at the video suddenly, since Rukia and Ichigo appear to be crying together.

"I don't want to leave!" Rukia's voice belts out at the camera.

"You still have time left. You both should stop crying and enjoy the time that you have left." Masaki's comforting voice says, even though she's not in view.

Everyone smiles as Ichigo and Rukia grab each other and hug until they finally get control of their tears.

"You two were too cute for words." Tatsuki says with an amused grin. Rukia and Ichigo blush again.

"I think we've had enough of the video." Rukia says as she stands and walks over to stop and eject it.

"I agree." Ichigo says as he crosses his arms. He can still feel the heat radiating off of his face.

"You were that young when you decided on the Omiai?" Tatsuki says with a grin.

"Shut up." Ichigo growls at her.

"You can't deny it, I heard the two of you discussing it as children a little while ago on the video." Tatsuki says triumphantly.

"Wow you two were so young!" Inoue says with huge eyes.

"I know we were young." Ichigo grumbles at her.

"I think that is one of the most romantic stories that I have ever heard of happening in my whole life!" Inoue says, feeling a bit of envy even though she's with Ishida now.

"I think it's one of the cutest stories that I've ever heard." Tatsuki says with a grin.

Ichigo and Rukia trade horrified glances with one another. Neither of them want to hear everyone gushing about this.

"Try to keep that quiet at school, would you?" Ichigo says in an annoyed tone.

"I should have known you wouldn't want it going around that you can be incredibly romantic and cute." Tatsuki says with a chuckle.

"Shut your trap." Ichigo orders her, causing Tatsuki to laugh louder.

The attention of the whole room suddenly focuses on Rukia's bedroom door where Toushirou has just flung open the door with an excited look on his face.

"The bodyguards told me to come warn you, there have been suspicious cars driving past the house for the past five minutes. They think we could be in for a bit of trouble." Toushirou tells them all in a high pitched voice.

"Shouldn't we call the police?" Rukia asks nervously.

"They may disappear if we do that. We should just kill them." Ichigo says with narrowed eyes.

"Killing them is the only way to keep them from breaking out of jail again." Tatsuki says with a nod.

"How can you casually discuss killing people when we could possibly call the police and get them apprehended before they ever step out of their cars?" Rukia asks in an exasperated tone.

"Rukia, you know it's the only way to end the terror that they've caused. We have to kill them." Ichigo tells her in a low voice.

"I've got my bat!" Inoue says with a cheerful smile.

"Is this how you all want to handle it?" Rukia asks everyone. Toushirou steps forward.

"I will be delighted to give the fatal blow to the bastard that killed my sister." He tells them all quite seriously. "I want to be the one to send him straight to hell."

"Rukia, if we call the police they'll just put off their operation until they can come at a later unnoticed time. They're just going to keep on coming. The only way to end the madness is to at least kill Aizen and your uncle. I just have a feeling that any help they bring will be trying to kill us too, and it may be a situation where it's kill or be killed." Ichigo tells her softly.

"I don't ever want to think of myself as a murderer." Rukia tells Ichigo softly with a worried look at him.

"We'll call the police the moment they actually approach, but not a moment before." Ichigo tells her in a reassuring voice.

"This man has brutalized girls before, I don't have any problem with killing him." Tatsuki says determinedly.

"It's not that I'd have a problem with killing him, I would want to do it in a way that wouldn't make me consider myself a murderer for the rest of my life." Rukia says in a low voice.

Everyone gets what Rukia is saying. There's a difference between doing what's right versus going way over that line to make them all as evil as the people they believe they'll have a chance to encounter.

"Should we all go downstairs and send Shoko next door with one of the bodyguards?" Ichigo asks Rukia with a raised eyebrow. Rukia nods.

"Yes. Until the danger has passed, we should probably not try to have this battle in my bedroom. I think we should try to do it outside of the house but I'm not so sure they'd be bold enough to confront us outside, even if it is dark." Rukia answers.

Everyone starts grabbing what they need for the fight. Ichigo grabs his three sectioned staff since he doesn't want to be wielding a blade so close to his friends. Rukia grabs the sheath belt that her brother had made for her to keep the Jiulong knives. She puts it on her waist and she takes her fan with her.

"Is your brother in town?" Ichigo asks suddenly. Rukia shakes her head.

"Unfortunately no. I kind of wish he were." Rukia mutters as everyone starts filing out of her bedroom and down the stairs. Rukia switches off the light in her room.

"I wonder if we'll actually finally get to see this psycho make his appearance," Ichigo grumbles as his hand tightens around his staff.

"It kind of seems like it's time. They certainly took their time in getting here," Renji says in a gruff voice as they reach the first floor. Yumichika is right in front of the door with a small two way radio in his hand.

"They have passed by again since the kid went upstairs to get you." Yumichika tells them in a tight voice.

"How many are there?" Rukia asks curiously.

"Several suspicious cars have passed by. We're guessing at the very least, twelve." Yumichika answers, and the kids all exchange glances with each other.

"Twelve?" Ishida squeaks nervously. Yumichika nods his head with a sigh.

"At least." He reminds the kid.

"Somehow I just don't have such a good feeling about this," Renji mutters as they all wait for Yumichika to update them on what's going on outside.

You could hear a pin drop.

Everyone in the room stands silently and nervously, wondering exactly how the night will end. Convicted murderers have escaped from jail and could certainly be heading their way. Rukia and Ichigo can both feel their hearts racing as they nervously scan what's going on outside.

"Did someone take Shoko out?" Rukia whispers to Yumichika. He shakes his head no.

"We don't want them to know that we've spotted them. Moving her would certainly alert them that we're onto them." Yumichika tells her softly.

"Is anybody watching the back door?" Rukia asks nervously.

"Ikkaku is on the side of the house in a spot that has a clear view of the backyard." Yumichika assures her.

"Kenpachi is out front somewhere?" Rukia asks softly. Yumichika nods his head.

"He has a thing for being right in the thick of danger. He's still hidden from sight of anybody casing the street though. Same with Ikkaku. You kids won't fight this battle alone, I assure you." Yumichika tells them tightly.

"I need to call my father and make sure he's awake in case someone has it in their mind to get their hands on a child." Ichigo says suddenly, and Rukia gasps.

"You're right, you need to call him right now!" Rukia says anxiously. Ichigo dashes back upstairs to Rukia's bedroom, and he sees his phone sitting on her night stand. He grabs it up and immediately calls Isshin.

"Dad! You're awake?" Ichigo asks in surprise after the first ring.

"I've seen a couple of unfamiliar and suspicious looking cars pass by. I can't sleep when it's like that." Isshin informs Ichigo in a low voice.

"Good. I wanted to make sure you knew since we're all ready for a confrontation over here." Ichigo informs his father.

"I'll call the police if I see anybody head in the house." Isshin assures him.

"You don't have to rush when you do that." Ichigo tells his father.

"But I will. Those criminals need to be apprehended." Isshin says.

"Alright, well I'm going to let you go and stay by Rukia." Ichigo tells his dad.

"Make sure nothing happens to her." Isshin tells Ichigo.

"I will." Ichigo tells his father in a serious voice before he hits end and drops his phone back onto the nightstand. He envisions what it would be like to kill Aizen as he dashes back downstairs.

When Ichigo reaches the downstairs, everyone looks totally tense.

"They passed by again." Rukia tells Ichigo.

"How many times are they going to do that?" Ichigo asks in an annoyed voice.

Everyone rushes to the windows to look out when they hear tires screeching in front of Rukia's house. Four cars have pulled up at the same time and people are piling out of them. Rukia's heart starts racing faster at the sight of Aizen, her uncle and a black man standing at the head of the group that they have obviously gathered for their confrontation.

"It's him, he's actually fucking here!" Ichigo says in a pissed off voice as he looks at all of the people who have joined Aizen. His gaze flies to a cocky looking man with blue hair.

"They sure came with a lot of people." Tatsuki says in a breathless voice as she stares out the window.

"I'm glad I had Michiru stay home." Sado says in a low and serious voice.

"It looks like most of them have swords!" Inoue says as she looks out the window. She looks a little helplessly at her bat.

Everyone watches as Ishida opens the window and puts a fairly large rock into his slingshot, since he has several bags of rocks tied to his waist. He aims carefully for the center of the blind man's head.

Ishida lets the rock fly loose and every single teenager in the room gasps in shock when the black man suddenly raises a short sword and knocks the rock away before it can hit him square in the head.

"Holy shit." Ishida says in a shocked voice.

"How did he know that was there?" Inoue asks nervously.

"His other senses must be extremely developed because of his blindness." Rukia whispers nervously as the group walk closer and closer towards her house.

Yumichika throws open the door and stands in front of the entrance.

"Good evening, we are here to collect Rukia and leave. If you surrender her without a fight, we agree to let the rest of you live." Aizen tells Yumichika pleasantly.

"Are you kidding me?" Yumichika asks him in disbelief.

"As you can see I have many loyal followers, and don't think they don't know how to use the weapons that they arrived with, I assure you they're all very experienced in the ways of killing people." Aizen tells Yumichika with a pleasant smile. "These two are my loyal partners, and the ones behind me are my dear Espada." Aizen says with a triumphant and superior smile.

"I refuse!" Yumichika tells Aizen in an angry voice.

"Then we will have no choice but to kill you as well." Aizen informs him. He looks back at the rest of the group. "Make sure you don't kill any young ladies. If there is more than one in the house, we'll be taking them all." Aizen assures his comrades.

His followers all look like they're about to attend a feast.

Ichigo looks at Rukia and he can tell she's really scared. Ichigo feels even angrier than he did before.

_I will always protect you, Rukia._


	51. Chapter 50: In The End

Chapter 50

_In The End_

"We're going to fuck them up." Ichigo says in a low voice, and everyone in the room starts to get fired up.

"Damn straight!" Renji says in agreement.

"They'll regret this for sure," Sado chimes in.

"You fucking piece of shit, you will leave here a loser just like always!" Tatsuki screams loud enough for him to hear her. "You keep getting more and more stupid!" Tatsuki yells loudly.

Inoue nods her head angrily as she remembers what happened to Aizen's previous victims. Both her and Ishida had been disgusted and angered when they'd heard the details.

"I won't lose this time," Aizen says loudly, and the kids all hear him since Ishida cracked open the window to try out his slingshot for a second time. "That didn't sound like Rukia. It's good that she's not the only young lady in the residence tonight," Aizen says with a delighted chuckle.

"You're delusional!" Rukia shouts out when she hears that perverse comment coming from his mouth. Aizen's loud laugh can be clearly heard in the house, and all three of the girls shiver with disgust at the sound of his confident and sadistic chortling.

Ishida aims a rock towards one of the men Aizen claimed to be his Espada, the man is ridiculously tall, and when Ishida lets the rock loose, he hits this time. The tall man on the end is instantly brought down when the rock hits him in the center of the forehead.

This seems to be the signal, and Aizen immediately advances towards Yumichika with his followers directly behind him. Kenpachi runs in front of Yumichika and immediately raises his own sword to start to fight with Tousen. When Tousen senses the man upon him, he's shocked by the incredible power that the man obviously possesses.

"What in the hell are you?" Tousen asks in a low voice since every instinct he has is frantically telling him not to fight with this man.

"I'm your worst mother fucking nightmare!" Kenpachi tells him with a big smile. "I can't waste too long on you, there are others that I want to kill. You shouldn't have come to this place." Kenpachi says with an excited laugh. Ikkaku comes from the side of the house and immediately begins to engage Gin in battle.

They keep coming and Ichigo watches as Yumichika begins to engage the only woman in the group who came with Aizen.

The kids all stare in horror when the front door opens, and Ichigo prepares his weapon. Aizen allows his followers to enter first, and the blue haired man immediately rushes to be the first one in Rukia's house.

Ichigo immediately pounds him with several savage blows, using his three sectioned staff until the man falls to the ground.

Sado immediately goes after the largest in the group, the man is larger than he is too. The guy grins when he sees Sado pulling back to punch him.

"You can't beat Yami!" The man says with a laugh as he kicks Sado before his punch can reach him. Sado is knocked back several feet and he quickly gets back up. Ichigo hits the blue haired man who was starting to stand ,so hard he's knocked out at the moment he sees Sado hit the ground.

Toushirou darts in and flies with his foot aimed at the pink haired man that has entered the room. The man is so caught off guard and Toushirou flies onto him, beating the living daylights out of the man.

Toushirou's success seems to psyche up all of the people in the room who are fighting for Rukia, and Inoue runs forward and beats the pink haired guy over the head with her bat, and Ishida sends another rock, this time flying at the big black guy who looks like he's about to grab Inoue by her hair. The black man grabs at his head and shoots Ishida an evil look.

One man, whose face is covered by a strange mask jumps over the brawling with his sword out to attack Rukia, though not with a fatal type blow. Rukia snaps open her fan instantly, blocking the attack, and the man grunts in surprise, and that is the moment he is knocked into oblivion by Ichigo.

While that was happening, Ishida had prepared another rock, and once again, his mark is true as the eye splatters into the black man's left eye, causing blood to spray out onto the pink haired man that Inoue is still beating over the head with her bat.

Inoue suddenly notices the black man begin to flail and so she strikes his groin with her bat as hard as she possibly can, sending him to his back in an unmoving heap.

Tatsuki flies with her fists at the blue haired guy who started to get up to go after Ichigo now that he's no longer concentrating on him, and Renji assists her and they attack him together. Tatsuki kicks him in the cheek hard enough to make him think he's been kicked into the next year, but then Renji pulls him into an effective chokehold.

Aizen hasn't actually entered the room yet, he's at the doorway, and Toushirou suddenly leaps off of the pink haired man to dive past a very old man, at Aizen.

"You mother fucking piece of shit!" Toushirou's voice is so loud it wakes up Karin next door.

One Espada who had been doing nothing, and was more accustomed to being lazy whenever the occasion suited him, suddenly found himself being targeted by Tatsuki. He's amazed that such a young girl is so skilled in the martial arts when she elbows him in the face.

"Ow! You bitch! What did I do to you?" He asks in a pained voice.

"You came in this house you jackass!" Tatsuki yells before she kicks him in the throat sending him completely unconscious.

Outside, Kenpachi has just slit Tousen from his shoulder down to his waist, and the man crumbles to the ground, bleeding to death. Kenpachi laughs gleefully. He just loves battle.

At the same time, Ikkaku cuts away Gin's pants and castrates Gin. Then he moves to his back and pierces his sword into Gin's Achilles heel, causing the man to fall to the ground, unable to walk at all.

Kenpachi and Ikkaku advance closer to Aizen, who is currently being attacked in a flurry of directions by the voluntary kid bodyguard who had shown up.

Ikkaku and Kenpachi exchange surprised glances as they think the same exact thing.

_That kid is pretty fucking good_.

Yumichika is fighting and losing to the Espada woman, in fact he's already seriously injured, even though he isn't dead.

Ikkaku notices the condition his brother is in and he blocks the killing blow as he looks angrily at the blonde who had attacked his twin brother.

"I'm your opponent now." Ikkaku informs her, even as Isshin races over to help Yumichika.

"Don't worry, I've called the police," Isshin reassures the injured man.

"That woman is as strong as a man…" Yumichika whispers before he loses consciousness.

Back in the house, Sado is facing Yami again, and this time he lands a punch on Yami at his full force, and the man is surprised when Sado's punch actually knocks him to the ground. Rukia flies forward and whips a Jiulong knife from her sheath and holds it to the large man's throat.

"I will kill you if you move a muscle." Rukia says in a dangerously low voice.

Sado turns his attention to the old man and punches as hard as he can at the old guy's face. The old guy thinks he's just been sent to heaven as he flies out the open door and several meters in front of Rukia's house.

Toushirou just landed a vicious kick to Aizen's crotch and he smiles with satisfaction when Aizen grunts in pain.

"Does it hurt, you piece of shit?" Toushirou asks him before he uppercuts Aizen in the chin, causing Aizen to fall backwards and lose consciousness for a couple of moments.

"You fucking people quit hitting me in my goddamned chin!" Aizen growls as he comes to. He rubs his chin, which is throbbing painfully.

He remembers how Rukia had caught his chin in her bedroom when he had last fought with her. It pisses him off that he got caught in the chin yet again. He can't let this end like the last time, even if things are looking grim.

_It hurts like a son of a bitch. _

The man who's eye got hit by a rock before he entered the house staggers in and kicks Toushirou so hard that the kid flies against the wall on the opposite side of the room and Toushirou crumbles to the floor into unconsciousness.

Kenpachi immediately tries to slash the man who kicked Toushirou but the man moves out of his way and slashes Kenpachi instead. Kenpachi falls to his knees gasping even as a picture flashes across his brain of his daughter who is away at boarding school. He promised her that he wouldn't die.

"Yachiru…I won't die." Kenpachi says in a soft voice as he breathes deeply.

Ichigo is fighting a black haired man with green eyes, who shows absolutely no emotion on his face. The man has been able to block all of Ichigo's attacks, and Ichigo can feel the sweat falling down his face, and he watches in amazement as the man he's fighting dodges a rock that Ishida managed to shoot off at him. The man appears to be extremely skilled when it comes to fighting. He seems like the type who could easily fight, blindfolded.

Inoue attacks the man who kicked Toushirou with her bat, and the man hadn't even seen her coming at him when she crushed the bat into his midsection and then thrust it forward into his neck, causing him to land on his back, panting for breath.

Toushirou has recovered from being kicked and he rushes furiously back over to Aizen and begins to choke the life out of him.

He notices that Inoue is clobbering the guy who kicked him over the head repeatedly with her bat as she yells about not attacking children and women. He can hardly believe that the seemingly friendly girl is that angry.

"You are evil! You don't attack women or children!" Inoue is still ranting and raving.

Kenpachi who was on his knees from getting slashed, smiles when he realizes the man who slashed him is laying on the ground from Inoue's beating and he immediately kills the man by swiping his sword across the man's neck so deeply the man is nearly left decapitated. Inoue stops beating him with her bat when she witnesses that brutal slash.

"Payback can be a fucking bitch." Kenpachi says as he watches the light immediately go out in the man's eyes. "Don't you agree?" Kenpachi asks with a sardonic laugh. Inoue's mouth just drops open since she' had been right there for the the end of it.

Toushirou squeezes Aizen's neck even harder. He grips the man's neck with every ounce of strength his body possesses and he squeezes with all of his will…for his sister's sake.

"Do you know who I am, you fuck nut? I am Hinamori Momo's little brother. I'm here for her vengeance! I hope this hurts…" Toushirou hisses at Aizen. "Die and go to hell!" Toushirou spits in his face. These are the last words that Aizen hears as he struggles unsuccessfully to breathe and he falls into darkness. "I don't believe you're dead, I'm not letting go!" Toushirou says in a low angry voice to the man's purple face.

Ikkaku thrusts his sword into the woman's chest and he watches as she falls to the ground, bleeding to death.

"It's over for you now. Die." Ikkaku says to the blonde woman, even as he hears more fighting still going on within the house.

Back in the house, Ichigo lands an Iron Elbow on the stoic man that he's facing and Rukia leaps on the man from behind after Ichigo's savage hit and begins to choke him from behind.

Kenpachi watches as the police pull up and Isshin rushes over to him.

"It's going to be alright, the police are here now," Isshin tells Kenpachi, even as he eyes the serious wound that was inflicted on his body.

The police jump out of their cars and rush towards the house, where several officers check on the people littered out in the front yard.

When they enter the house, they're shocked to see people all over the floor. In particular, a white haired child appears to be choking Aizen Sousuke, who looks like he's already dead. Their mouths gape open a bit before they are actually to able respond and it takes several officers to pry the boy away from the dead man, since he's hanging on with a vice-like grip.

One officer feels Aizen's neck for a pulse to confirm his death and he nods his head at the other men.

"He's dead." The officer tells the others, as they survey the damage that was done to the convicts who broke out of jail.

The officers quickly round up the ones still living, but it appears that several of Aizen's group lost their lives in the scuffle.

Only the man that Ichigo had fought last, the man who called himself Yami, the black man, the masked man, and the really lazy guy who Tatsuki had knocked unconscious are still alive, though they're all severely injured.

Aizen, Gin, Tousen, the woman, the pink haired man, the blue haired man, the old man, and the tall man are all dead. The police are more than shocked with the body count, not that the kids can exactly be held responsible.

"He's dead?" Rukia says in surprise, even as the truth actually hits her. Ichigo hugs her close.

"He's dead." Ichigo confirms with a happy smile.

"Really?" Rukia asks in disbelief, even as she stares at his corpse.

"Toushirou did it." Ichigo whispers into her ear, and Rukia can practically feel Hinamori Momo smiling broadly down on her brother.

"Hitsugaya-kun did?" Rukia whispers with wide and happy eyes.

"Yep." Ichigo says with a relaxed grin.

"It's really over?" Rukia asks in a bit of disbelief.

"The insanity is really over, but our life together is still just beginning." Ichigo tells her softly, earning a happy smile from Rukia. He puts his arm around her and gives her a comforting squeeze. Rukia feels like all of her troubles are swiftly dissipating into nothingness.

A car is heard screeching outside and Byakuya jumps out of the car, and rushes towards the house. Rukia immediately waves to him and Byakuya rushes over.

"Ni-sama!" Rukia calls out and Byakuya looks relieved to see her looking okay and well, even as he surveys the yard and injuries.

Byakuya sees that Ikkaku is the only bodyguard who appears to be minimally injured. Byakuya also notices immediately that the key players in Rukia's misery all appear to be dead.

"I hurried back as quickly as I could…I guess I was a little bit too late." Byakuya says as he realizes that Rukia is holding her iron fan in her hand.

"I think we're all okay," Rukia says as the kids all seem to be for the most part uninjured.

"I'm so glad to hear it," Byakuya says with relief.

"Life will finally get peaceful?" Rukia asks Ichigo hopefully, as she looks up at him still feeling a little bit anxious.

"It can't get anything else, with Aizen dead, can it?" Ichigo asks her softly. Rukia shakes her head and she buries her face into Ichigo's chest.

"Thank you, Ichigo." Rukia tells him as she wraps her arms around him to hug him tightly.

Ichigo suddenly notices that Karin has run over and doesn't seem to be at all concerned about the dead bodies laying around, instead she's kneeling next to Toushirou looking awfully concerned about his injuries, and the way she's looking at him reminds Ichigo of the way Rukia looks at him, and his eyes narrow as he watches his sister fawn all over the kid who killed Aizen.

"You have got to be shitting me." Ichigo grumbles as he watches his sister's face light up in a relieved smile when Toushirou assures her that he's fine.

"What is it, Ichigo?" Rukia asks as she pulls her face away from his chest. She looks up at him, and he's obviously focused on something besides her, and so Rukia follows his gaze and sees Karin telling Toushirou that she's so glad he's okay.

_Uh oh. Maybe I should distract him._

"I think my sister has developed a crush." Ichigo grumbles to Rukia, who smiles up at him with amusement.

"Well she's more than twice the age we were when we developed our first crushes." Rukia reminds him.

"Gin was killed." Byakuya tells Rukia, who immediately smiles.

"Really?" Rukia asks, thinking the night just keeps getting better.

"You won't have to worry about him ever again, either." Byakuya assures her with a rarely seen big smile.

"That is a relief!" Rukia says, letting a large gust of air out as she realizes how great that news is.

"Everything is looking up." Byakuya assures her in a quiet voice.

J J J J

When Rukia receives the earrings from Ichigo for White's Day, she absolutely adores them. They go wonderfully with her engagement ring, and she knows he must have spent a lot of his reward money on them. They're sitting on her bed, all alone.

"You are the sweetest man alive." Rukia said when she looked at him after giving the earrings a long admiring look.

"I'm glad you think so, since you're stuck with me," Ichigo tells her with a sexy wink.

"Being stuck with you is a fantasy that many women share, but only I get to experience." Rukia tells him with a soft laugh.

"I only care about your fantasies." Ichigo whispers in her ear.

"My fantasy is for you to make love to me," Rukia tells him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She sets the earrings on her nightstand to give Ichigo her full attention.

"What a coincidence, that's my fantasy too." Ichigo informs her as he leans in to kiss her. Rukia smiles and kisses him back.

Like always, he makes her body shake in want and excitement when he runs his hands and tongue wherever the desire strikes him. He gives Rukia a nice long and quivering orgasm before he ever even enters her. He loves the way her body reacts to him, since he knows his body is the same way when she applies her touch to him.

"Ichigo…" Rukia murmurs as he keeps on kissing her, taking his time not to rush and to bring her complete satisfaction.

"I love it when you're hot like this. My future wife." Ichigo whispers sensually to her before he starts nibbling on her earlobe.

Rukia shivers at the closeness and then his lips move to her neck, one of her most favorite places to be kissed, not that there are only a few of them, since she has tons of favorite spots to be kissed when she's with Ichigo.

"I love you, Ichigo." Rukia says, just as Ichigo is positioning himself to make love to her. He gives her a very intense and loving look as he's penetrating her and he lets her know how he feels as he does.

"I love you, Rukia." Ichigo tells her in a clearly turned on voice. Rukia loops her arms around his neck and begins to hold on tighter and tighter as he makes love to her harder, and faster with each thrust. To her it feels wondrously perfect. Experiencing this type of love is a gift in her mind.

J J J J

Rukia's gymnastics competition that she's spent so many months working hard for is finally upon them. Everyone that Rukia extended an invitation to showed up for her performance too. Ichigo, his family, Renji, Tatsuki, Sado, Michiru, Inoue, and Ishida all came to support her.

Rukia had received red roses this time, right before she entered the gym, since Ichigo had caught her before she could enter. He had also promised to ride back home with her, since she had arrived separately from him with her coach. Rukia feels like her body is in perfect shape for the strenuous exercises that she has planned for the competition.

Karin has become withdrawn for the most part, ever since Toushirou returned home, but they're pen pals now, and she definitely managed to make friends with him, even if he hasn't truly noticed her as a girl yet. She does enjoy watching the gymnastics though, so she's in a rare good mood as she looks around the gym.

Ichigo and Rukia's friends are filled with excitement when they see Rukia appear on the floor with all of the other contestants. Her coach is there today, and Ichigo wishes he could be down there spotting her like usual, but today her coach will take over that duty.

"I think she can win. I've seen so many amazing moves out of her the past few months at the gym." Tatsuki says with a big smile to Ichigo who is catching Rukia's gaze and smiling.

"What?" Ichigo asks absentmindedly.

"I said that I think she can win after all of the moves I've seen her perform lately, jeez…you two never get bored with each other, do you?" Tatsuki asks as she smiles at him.

"I haven't seen you getting bored of Renji either," Ichigo points out, and he smiles victoriously when Tatsuki blushes.

"I guess that's how it is, when you're in love." Tatsuki admits softly, causing Ichigo to smile and nod.

"It just makes life seem so much better, doesn't it?" Ichigo asks her, before he looks back at Rukia.

"Yeah, I think you're right about that." Tatsuki says with a grin.

"Her bad dreams have completely disappeared, and our wedding plans seem to be coming along nicely." Ichigo says in a quiet voice as he watches Rukia stretch. He has the same type of reaction that he always does to that sight, and he crosses his arms as he stares at her.

Everyone cheers for Rukia after all of her performances, which are clearly more difficult than the performances she had put on just before she had moved to Karakura Town.

Not one of her friends are surprised when she actually wins the competition, and is given a gold medal. Rukia holds it up in the air, and she smiles when she hears Ichigo and her friends all cheering loudly in appreciation.

Rukia smiles at all of them, even as she realizes that her life has gotten a million times better ever since Ichigo came back into it. She even has more people cheering for her at her competitions now.

Even better than the medal though, is the congratulatory kiss that Ichigo gives her the very second they're finally together after she's left the floor.

"Congratulations, you deserved to win. I am glad they finally chose the right contender to be the winner." Ichigo tells her with an adoring smile. Rukia grins back at him.

"You would say that even if I didn't deserve it." Rukia accuses him even as she can't stop smiling.

"You did deserve it though. Nobody knows better than me how hard you've worked for this competition and it really paid off. You blew the leotards off of those other girls." Ichigo tells her with a wink.

"Thanks for working hard with me everyday." Rukia tells him even as their friends gather around to congratulate her.

"You were phenomenal, Rukia!" Tatsuki and Renji say it at the same time, and then they both blush at that. Rukia grins at the couple.

"Thanks!" Rukia tells them brightly.

"I was impressed, Rukia." Byakuya's voice sounds behind her friends, and Rukia's eyes widen in shock and happiness.

"Ni-sama! You came to watch?" Rukia says in a soft and pleased voice.

"I made sure I wouldn't miss this one." Byakuya tells her with a hint of a smile playing at his lips.

Rukia's eyes tear up as she looks at her friends, her fiancé, his family, and her brother. She feels emotional at their group show of support for her. She's never had this many people come to root her on in a competition.

"It's like a dream come true! Thank you so much, everybody for coming to watch and cheer. You don't all know what it means to me." Rukia says and Ichigo yanks her into his side.

Her emotional show of happiness ends up making Byakuya feel a bit guilty that he was really never around to attend her competitions before. He is relieved he attended the one where she actually received the all around gold medal.

"That triple back flip dismount that you did was riveting!" Inoue assures Rukia with a big smile.

"I liked your floor routine! Will you do an encore when we get back to Karakura Town at the gym?" Tatsuki asks Rukia with a big grin. Rukia looks back and forth between the two girls she's become such good friends with over the past several months.

"Of course I'll do an encore, for my friends!" Rukia says, and everyone begins smiling and laughing.

Rukia's coach walks over before he goes to leave in his own taxi. He gives Rukia a very proud look before he congratulates her quietly and then leaves the gym.

Rukia's smile is radiant, she feels like a winner in so many different ways, not just the gymnastics competition.

J J J J

When Rukia and Ichigo arrive home from traveling to France and Italy during the summer vacation, their friends surprise them with a welcome home party.

Rukia walks around the crowd of their friends at Inoue's house, where the party was determined to be held, and she feels an overwhelming amount of happiness as she walks around holding Ichigo's hands and talking with all of their friends.

Rukia feels like she's been walking around in a dreamlike haze. Not only did she graduate her first year at Karakura Town with the highest marks in the class, she also managed to survive a couple of encounters with a serial rapist, and survive other attempts at abductions. She's also won her last gymnastics competition and Ichigo's love still feels as miraculous as it always has felt.

"You look happy." Ichigo tells her as he smiles down at his bride-to-be.

"I'm thrilled!" Rukia tells Ichigo with a big smile as their friends continue to party all around them.

Rukia walks around reveling in how wonderfully different her life has become since Ichigo re-entered her life, and she wonders why she has been blessed with such good luck and such a great love.

"You look beautiful." Ichigo whispers down as he admires her radiant face. Rukia smiles happily up at him.

"I love you, Kurosaki Ichigo." Rukia tells him with a lot of feeling in her voice.

"I love you too, Kuchiki Rukia." Ichigo whispers back, with equal feeling in his voice.

"I'm going to keep on loving you…forever." Rukia whispers solemnly. Ichigo nods his head in agreement and leans down to kiss her cheek in front of all of their friends.

"You'd better…or I'll go insane." Ichigo tells her in a fervent voice.

_It's so fabulous! It's like I'm on cloud nine and there's no getting off of this cloud!_

J J J J

Ichigo feels his heart beating in complete excitement as he watches Byakuya walk Rukia down the aisle for their wedding. Rukia's dress is far more beautiful than any of the gowns he had seen in France or Italy when they'd gone to visit. It's strapless and it looks like it's mostly made of silk. The train isn't overly long, but she still looks like a princess as she walks towards him. She's wearing the sapphire earrings that he gave her last year on White's Day, and the sapphire necklace that he had presented her for this year's White's Day present.

Rukia had invited Tatsuki, Inoue, Michiru, Karin, and Yuzu to be her bridesmaids, and as a result, Ichigo's groomsmen were Sado, Renji, Ishida, Keigo and Mizuiro. The wedding party was filled with family and friends.

When Rukia finally reaches Ichigo's side, and Byakuya presents Rukia to him, Ichigo can hardly believe that what started when he was four is finally coming to fruition now that he's eighteen They had picked the end of July to get married, and the weather was quite agreeable, though the wedding was indoors rather than outdoors.

Ichigo feels like his head is in some sort of haze throughout the ceremony, and he worries he'll wake up and find that his happiness with Rukia was just a great dream. He pinches himself before he's told he can kiss his bride, and he smiles widely when he doesn't wake up.

Ichigo puts his hands on Rukia's tiny waist and leans down to give her the sealing kiss of their union. Rukia can feel her heart beating so fast as Ichigo leans down to rest his lips on her own. She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him lovingly as the entire room breaks out into thunderous cheers and applause.

Isshin steps forward with tears in his eyes as he looks at the couple that he's watched grow since they were children.

"I'm so happy that you two have kept your word to get married! Now when you have children, I can show them the videotapes of you two falling in love as children!" Isshin says with a big jovial smile, even though his eyes still have tears in them. Everybody who heard him, laughed when he said that and the newly married couple blush furiously.

"Children!" Rukia says with a breath of excitement.

"Wait until you finish school to work on that though," Isshin says even though he wouldn't mind holding his first grandchild as soon as possible. Rukia hugs Isshin, as she sees the expression in his eyes.

"Don't worry, you won't have to wait overly long," Rukia promises him, earning a big happy smile from her new father-in-law.

"I always knew you would be the only girl for my son, and all you do is keep on proving it!" Isshin says as he hugs her back.

Ichigo pulls Rukia from his father's embrace forcibly, and Rukia grins at Ichigo when she's dragged back.

Rukia is pleased to see Zaraki Kenpachi, Ikkaku, and Yumichika all at the wedding, she had been so glad when she'd learned that nobody had died in their quest to protect her. Rukia thinks that Kenpachi has the most adorable little girl, she looks ultra cute perched on her father's shoulders.

Rukia had invited Toushirou to the wedding and reception, and she notices that Karin has spotted him and has gone over to talk, since she looks far more feminine today than she ever has in the past.

Yuzu had invited Jinta to the wedding and Rukia sees them laughing as they eat some of the hors d' oeuvres. Rukia smiles up at her husband, he may not like that his sisters have crushes, but he hasn't stomped on their dreams either. Jinta ended up coming to the wedding with his father, Urahara Kisuke, and his older sister Ururu. Rukia had been so pleased to see Urahara again, since she was always fond of her hidden blade barrettes. It had been surprising to learn that the father of Yuzu's crush was Urahara Kisuke.

Byakuya had decided to present them with newly made weapons as a wedding gift. Ichigo was presented with a new saber-like sword that was as long as his body, and extremely powerful looking. Rukia was presented with a long thin sword that appeared almost white in certain light. They had thanked Byakuya profusely and agreed they'd display the swords in their home as a symbol of their love for one another.

When it comes time to begin the dancing, Rukia is sure she's experiencing a bit of heaven as Ichigo twirls her around the dance floor and stares deeply into her eyes as though she's the only woman that exists in his eyes.

Soon, everyone joins in the dancing and Rukia whispers to the photographer when she sees Karin and Toushirou slow dancing, that she wants pictures of it.

Karin's face is bright red, even though she was the one who invited him to dance. It had been a fast song when she'd took him to the floor and it had changed into a slow one as they had gotten ready to dance. Toushirou had shot her a little grin and then he'd stepped forward to put his hands on her waist. Karin had turned completely red, but she put her hands on his shoulders and she let herself enjoy being so close to the boy she's been crushing on for over a year now.

"You look beautiful today," Toushirou said into Karin's ear once they started dancing, causing Karin to turn even more red.

"Thanks," Karin tells him happily. She can hardly believe the way her entire body seems to be having little explosions like fireworks traveling up and down her body at their closeness and his words.

"We've been friends for a long time now…" Toushirou trails off, and Karin pulls away a tiny bit to look at him.

"For over a year." Karin agrees as it had taken time to get him to actually consider her a true friend.

"Now I'd like to know if it would be okay to take you out on a date sometime." Toushirou tells her with a red face. Karin's mouth drops open but she smiles hugely. She nods her head yes at him as she blushes as red as he just did. She notices her sister dancing with a red haired kid and Karin sighs happily.

Rukia didn't fail to notice Karin and Toushirou's red faces, and she's sure they'll one day make a fine couple.

The wedding reception continues until Ichigo picks up his bride and prepares to leave, as everyone shouts congratulations to the pair. Rukia and Ichigo stare lovingly into each other's eyes and then they grin at their well-wishers.

Ichigo takes Rukia to the limousine that is waiting to take them to their own honeymoon suite at an expensive Tokyo hotel before they head out for their honeymoon the next afternoon.

They smile as they drive away, since they can still hear everyone cheering.

In the end, they look into each other's eyes with an exceptional amount of love.


	52. Epilogue: Happiness

_Epilogue_

_Happiness_

Rukia and Ichigo's youngest son, plays with Karin and Toushirou's oldest son in the yard, while Rukia rubs her pregnant belly. She and Ichigo had already given birth to three children, and now she's working on their fourth. Isshin is running around with all of the kids and they're all laughing like crazy, as he takes turns playing with the older and younger kids. He just adores his grandchildren.

Tatsuki and Renji arrive with their only son, Ishida and his wife Orihime arrive at the same time with their son and daughter, and They see Sado to arrive with Michiru and their daughter.

Rukia and Ichigo smile at all their friends who all appear to be arriving all at the same time.

Ichigo seems ecstatically happy as he sees the children playing together. Toushirou and Karin are by the grill, and Rukia is with Ichigo lounging on a lawn chair. Rukia notices that Karin seems to still adore Toushirou as much as she did when she first laid eyes on him.

They're still waiting for Jinta and Yuzu to arrive, but they're almost always late because of Jinta. The family is used to it by now.

"You make me so happy, Rukia." Ichigo whispers as he lays his hand on her pregnant belly.

"Do you think we can get another girl?" Rukia asks him as she watches their older son and daughter play tag, and her youngest son is playing with Karin's oldest son.

"If I had any control over it, then we'd get a daughter." Ichigo tells her and he smiles when he feels a strong kick come from inside of Rukia's abdomen.

"It kicked!" Rukia says excitedly.

"It looks like this one will be as strong as its siblings!" Ichigo tells Rukia with a grin.

Rukia stares into Ichigo's eyes and wonders for the millionth time how she managed to find him at the tender age of four. She smiles at him and he leans over to kiss her.

"It seems that some of the very best arrangements are agreed to, in innocence." Rukia whispers, earning a look of intense love from her husband. She thinks of how Ichigo's sisters also found their loves when they were children.

He decides to kiss her a couple more times, just because she makes him so damned happy.

"A million times, I love you." Ichigo whispers when he finally pulls away. Rukia gives him a loving smile.

"You know I love you in the exact same way." Rukia whispers in total happiness.

* * *

**A/N-It's over loyal readers! I want to thank everyone that read the full story, considering the length, and the re-use of Aizen as the bad guy. **

**I truly appreciate each and every kind word that was said about this fan fiction story since I spent a lot of time every day working on it. I hope it met all of your expectations, and if you were left feeling like you didn't get full satisfaction, I'd like to apologize in advance for that. I love reading your reviews, even though I finished the story awhile ago, since this is what I consider my best work, so don't hesitate to let me know what you thought!**

**To each and every person who made my story a favorite, I want to say I'm very flattered, and I appreciate the support that you gave during the past two months that I've been working on the story. **

**If you really liked the story, I'd like to let anybody know who's unaware that I do have a collection of one shots and continuations that you should check out if you enjoyed my writing, though it's based on Shinigami Ichigo and Rukia. They are called BlacknwhiteIchiRuki. You can get to them from my profile too.**

**I have another long story, called Inner Hollow, please go and check it out! **

**Also I made an IchiRuki AMV! With moving clips and everything, check it out!**

**If you're a fan of Hollow Ichi, then you might like the AMV I made that features Ichi/Hollow Ichi. Both of the AMVs I made can be found in my profile.**

**I also started a forum where IchiRuki lovers can unite and talk, and I look forward to seeing you! You can reach the forum by clicking on my profile. It's called Black & White IchiRuki :)There are polls I'd love it if you voted in them too!**

**Much love to ****ALL**** who read the story! See my profile to get the links to the Ichigo & Rukia slideshows that I made on You Tube!**

**Theresa Crane :D**


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